


Danganronpa S: Kidnapped Institutional Academia

by littlesunshinelily



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: F/F, F/M, Fan Killing Game (Dangan Ronpa), Fanganronpa, Female Protagonist, Original Character(s), Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-01
Updated: 2019-01-15
Packaged: 2019-02-26 06:13:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 18
Words: 120,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13229721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlesunshinelily/pseuds/littlesunshinelily
Summary: [So… this is the start of my story, huh? Just the story of another normal high school girl… Well, sort of. I guess I should start with my introduction. My name is Maemi Akemi, and I’m a normal high school girl in almost every way. Almost.]16 original students in a high-stakes killing game, on an alternate timeline after DR3 Hope Arc. Who will make it through this game of murder alive? And what is the more sinister undertone to the whole affair?Critique of this work is requested!





	1. Prologue - Welcome to Kibou-Rehabiri Institute, Enjoy Your Stay

**Author's Note:**

> Bleh. I was hoping AO3 would provide me an escape from awful non-indented formatting issues. Should've probably been paying better attention to the formatting in the oneshot I did. Oh well. I hope you enjoy, and I welcome helpful feedback!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a slight edit to the prologue: Slowly, I will be drawing all 16 of the cast's portraits/neutral sprites, and slowly I will be doing title cards for them - I've added 7 for the time being. The title card template I'm using is from deviantart user Uzumakii95 (template found here: https://uzumakii95.deviantart.com/art/Danganronpa-Template-Base-412937604), though if they express they want me to use another template, I will do so. This is in response to a criticism where I was advised to make it easier to distinguish characters - I hope that this helps!

So… this is the start of my story, huh?

Just the story of another normal high school girl…

Well, sort of.

I guess I should start with my introduction. My name is Maemi Akemi, and I’m a normal high school girl in almost every way. Average height, average weight, average fitness, average appearance – well, I guess I am kind of cute… everything about me is normal.

The only thing abnormal about me is one of my talents, and even then, it’s not very useful. I’m… aha, I’m very good at making shadow puppets. That’s pretty useless as far as talents go.

And yet, I still got scouted by Hope’s Peak Academy for its second influx of students after it was rebuilt and reopened.

Despite my doubts about my talent, to go somewhere as prestigious as this just because I’m good with shadow puppets… It’s like a dream.

 

I stood outside the gates to the rebuilt Hope’s Peak Academy, eyes gazed at its massive size. Seeing such a prestigious academy in front of me… I felt my chest become all light and fluttery, like my organs had just turned into butterflies and sunshine… I took a deep breath, and with a wide smile on my face, pushed open the gates and walked into the courtyard.

Several groups of students hung around the courtyard, dressed in similar brown and red uniforms, though most had a personal touch to them that I assumed indicated their talents. A girl in ballet shoes - wait, where were her outdoor shoes? - , a boy wearing a colourful top hat, ...someone wearing a camera around their neck, all stood out as I passed through, though I tried not to draw attention to myself. Eventually, I passed by all of them. They were probably my upperclassmen, right? After all, I was still dressed in my old school's uniform - Aomizu High. Ironically, their uniform is red and peach across the board.

Eventually, I made my way inside the actual building, my excitement reaching its peak.

I caught the slightest glimpse of someone else inside, heading towards the left. I didn't recognise them at all, but they weren't dressed in the brown uniform I'd seen on the students in the courtyard, so they were probably part of my class.

I opened my mouth to greet them, but…

I felt a sudden wave of dizziness.

Before I was aware of what was happening…

… I fell unconscious.

**And that was where the dream of Hope’s Peak turned into a nightmare.**

I groaned as I woke up. I felt a splitting headache inside of my brain… like someone had just struck it with lightning, or at least how I think that sensation might feel.

“Oh, you’re awake!” I heard a voice say, and I jumped in surprise.

“Eep!” I yelled out, my hands moving in front of my face.

“Hey, hey! Easy,” The voice said again, and I finally focused on its source. A young boy, sitting beside me, with bright red hair in a ponytail, and turquoise eyes. He was dressed… strangely, to say the least. In mostly blue, with touches of yellow and black. Was he even wearing a uniform?

“A-Alright, easy, easy,” I said, supporting my weight on my hands as I pushed myself to a sitting position. I finally took a look at my surroundings…

“… Hang on, this isn’t Hope’s Peak Academy!” I exclaimed, frowning. 

“No, it isn’t… I dunno where we are,” The boy said, standing up and offering me his hand. “You need help getting up?”

“No, I’m fine,” I said, but my actions contradicted my words as I took his hand anyway. He lifted me to my feet with ease and grace.

“Heh, gonna take my help anyway?” The boy grinned at me.

“Yeah… It felt rude not to.” I replied. “It’s also probably rude to not ask for your name…”

“Right, right. My name is Hisoka Ongakundo,” Hisoka said.

“Mine’s Maemi Akemi. It’s nice to meet you, Hisoka!” I smiled as brightly as I could, holding my hand out for him to shake. Somehow, I think I smiled even brighter when he took it.

“Nice to meet you too, Maemi,” Hisoka said. “This is probably a weird question, but… are you an Ultimate?”

“Yeah, though it’s not that useful a talent… Why do you ask?”

“I’m an Ultimate too. Ultimate Modern Dancer, to be precise.”

My mind finally clicked. Hisoka Ongakundo… He was both a national and international sensation when it came to modern dance performances. I’d seen some of his performances online, though I never had the money or time to go see them in person. I’ve never seen anybody move the way he does…

“Oh, I remember! Gosh, I feel so stupid to have not noticed before…” I slapped my forehead.

“Hey, we’ve just been thrown into some unknown shit-hole. As much as I love the attention, I think remembering I’m a dancing sensation takes a back seat right now.” Hisoka folded his arms. “What about you? What’s your talent?”

“Ehe, I did say it was pretty useless… I’m the Ultimate Shadow Puppeteer,” I said.

“That's not bad. Pretty cool,” Hisoka said.

“You don’t have to pretend it’s more impressive than it is…” I pouted.

“Alright, fair enough,” Hisoka replied, waving a hand dismissively with a smile. “Do you remember anything else?”

“Um… I’d just walked in the doors to Hope’s Peak Academy. I saw someone else walking past, but before I could get their attention, I felt a wave of dizziness… I think I passed out, but I don’t remember passing out or hitting the floor. And then I woke up here,” I explained.

“G-Geez, aside from someone walking past, the same shit happened to me,” Hisoka replied.

“That… can’t be a coincidence, can it?” I asked. Hisoka opened his mouth to answer, only for a screen to come to life right next to us.

 

“Testing, testing,” The speakers boomed to life, though the screen remained dark. “Could all 16 of you bastards meet in the courtyard? And make it quick, we don’t have all day.”

With that, the screen shut off, and I felt nothing but confusion.

“16 of us? Courtyard? Why?” I stammered.

“Dunno why. I’ve already explored around the place, and there are 14 other people here. Seven guys, seven girls, and I've already met 'em. Got sent out here by Airou to check on you. I can take you to the courtyard, if you want,” Hisoka said, giving me a grin.

“Yeah, that’d be great!” I said.

“Alright. Stay close,” Hisoka said. “Can’t have cute girls getting lost now!”

Geez… maybe he was a bit of a womanizer, like his fanbase made him out to be. But still, I didn’t have another choice, except to sit out here on my own. So, I followed Hisoka to the courtyard.

Past a pair of winged hallways, past the bathrooms, into the library just across from the dining hall, and through the door to the left…

 

“Courtyard” might have been misleading. While the room was full of plant life, there was no real sunlight to be seen. Just a bright, overhanging set of lights on the ceiling resembling it. Though it seemed to be moving ever so slightly around the room… I finally lowered my gaze. Staring back at me and Hisoka were 14 other people…

“Finally. I was wondering when the last two would arrive,” A boy with greenish-blonde hair and goggles said.

“There’s no need to be rude!” A girl in a blue beanie and with white and blue hair yelled back. “They might have just gotten a bit lost!”

“Not lost. That girl was still passed out,” A boy with black hair and red eyes said. “I asked Hisoka to keep an eye on her.”

“Useless boy, you should’ve had him just carry her here,” A girl with black hair and white eyes said.

"We literally  _just_ got the announcement to come here. I'm flattered that you'd think so, but I don't have clairvoyance," The boy with red eyes smiled.

“It’s useless to debate on what we should’ve done,” A girl with blonde hair and pink eyes said. “At the moment, we need to figure out why we’re here. Now, why are we here?”

“There's at least a bunch of flowers here, so it's not the worst place we could be!” A short boy with a respirator over his face said.

“Whatever the case, we should probably get acquainted with the new arrival,” A man with black dreadlocks and glasses said.

He took a couple of steps towards me, extending his hand. “My name’s Seiryo Yuuma. From what I can see, everyone here has an Ultimate talent but me. Don't know if I have one or not. I suppose either are possible.”

"Ah, nice to meet you, Seiryo!" I said, taking his hand and giving it a gentle shake. 

Seiryo smiled at me. "Anyway. That's my introduction done, so whoever's next..." 

“Right, right, I'll go next! I’m Tae Kawada. I’m the Ultimate Barista,” Tae, the blonde girl, said, approaching me, and taking my other hand.

“If you ever want a nice hot coffee or even a cold one, just hit me up! I’m always available to do so for cute girls like you!” She added.

I felt blood rush to my cheeks at the compliment. “T-Thank you?”

“No problem!” Tae grinned at me.

Her smile seemed to radiate sunshine…

“Hey, don’t hog all of Maemi’s attention!” Hisoka said, but he chuckled as he did so.

"Dude, she isn't trying to," said the boy with the goggles. 

"Alright, fine, I guess she isn't... Tae doesn't seem like that type of person. What about you, who are you?" Hisoka asked.

“We already introduced ourselves to each other," the boy with the goggles glared at Hisoka, "but I guess I haven't done so to Maemi. Mokichi Hatsu. Ultimate Pilot.”

“C’mon, where’s your spirit or life?” The girl in the blue beanie shouted, pumping her fists. “Introduce yourself properly, like this! Hello there! I'm Aeko Kakatto, the Ultimate Aquarium Curator!”

“We’re not all as upbeat as you, Aeko. Not to mention, this situation is... rather unsettling,” The boy with red eyes said. “Anyway. I’m Airou Himura. I’m the Ultimate Model. A pleasure to meet you.”

There was an energy about Airou that was somewhat creepy… but at the same time, there was an undeniable attractive quality to him.

Maybe because he was a model?

“Are you all done wasting her time?” The girl with white eyes said. “Bloody hell. I'm Kokuro Shiroko, the Ultimate Acrobat. There, done.”

“God your voice is annoying…” A girl with lavender hair in twin-tails said.

"Good thing nobody asked for your opinion," Kokuro replied, folding her arms. 

"Ah, anyway, introductions! Keep going!" I said, pointing to the girl in lavender pigtails, hoping to stop that argument before it even began. At least, I thought it was an argument.

"Right, right," The girl with lavender hair said, turning back to me. "I'm surprised you didn't recognise me, but oh well, I guess we can't expect everything. My name is Kadiri Nakashima. I am the Ultimate Actress.”

“Oh, Kadiri Nakashima? I’ve seen a lot of your movies! I think Painter’s Dream was my favourite of yours,” I said. For how excited I was to meet her, I probably should have recognised her sooner...

“Ah, yes. It is always nice to meet a fan,” Kadiri chuckled.

“Should I introduce myself now?” The boy with the respirator said. “I’m Hiroshi Ohta, the Ultimate Botanist!”

I couldn’t help myself when I blurted out what I said next. “Aaw, you’re so cute! Like a purple teddy bear!”

“Ehe, thank you!” Hiroshi replied.

“… What about you? You haven’t introduced yourself yet,” said a girl with ginger red hair. She stared at me with a gaze that I thought could cut me in half.

“R-Right, right… Um, I’m Maemi Akemi. I’m the Ultimate Shadow Puppeteer.” I said. As ‘shadow puppeteer’ exited my mouth, I felt my cheeks flush with shame.

“… I'm Delawyn Fukui. Ultimate Assassin.” Delawyn replied, folding her arms.

"Ehe, nice to meet you!" I said. An assassin? Wow... 

“Maybe we should ask those who haven’t spoken yet?” Hisoka suggested, before ushering me over to a boy dressed in primarily green and a girl dressed almost entirely in brown. The boy wore glasses, and the girl wore a mask over her mouth and nose.

“Uh…” I trailed off, gazing at the two.

“Hello there. Who’s your friend?” The boy with the glasses said, fiddling with his tie as he looked at me.

“Er, Hisoka Ongakundo… we introduced ourselves before, Korin. Maemi just introduced herself,” Hisoka said, with a mild chuckle.

“Right you are… my apologies. So, my name is Korin Uesaka. I'm the Ultimate Fashion Designer,” Korin said.

“and this is my sister, Satoko Uesaka. She's the Ultimate Sculptor.” He added shortly after, gesturing to the girl. 

“Nice to meet you!” I smiled, holding my hand out to Satoko, but... she backed away from me, quite a considerable distance.

“Huh? Did I do something wrong?” I asked.

“No, not at all. Satoko isn’t comfortable around most others. Are you, Satoko?” Korin said, and Satoko shook her head.

“S-Sorry, Satoko… I’ll give you some space,” I said, backing away as well, before crashing into a woman with brown hair and yellow eyes. “Eek! Sorry!”

The woman laughed slightly, but her face showed no emotions as she held me steady. “Don’t worry your head over it. Maemi Akemi, right?”

“Y-Yeah… and you?” I stammered. God, I was a mess today…

“Dai Kamowa. I’m the Ultimate Archer. It's nice to meet you,” Dai said, giving my hand a firm shake.

I smiled as she shook it, before releasing it. As she did, I noticed two guys standing in the corner… one guy had blonde hair and wore an eyepatch over his left eye, while the other had pink hair, arm muscles for days, and was in a wheelchair. I couldn’t help but also notice he had no legs…

“Hey!” I called out to the two, practically dragging Hisoka over with me. The two looked up from their conversation.

“Can’t wait your turn?” The blonde boy said, scratching the back of his neck.

“Ehe… sorry. I’ll wait,” I said.

"I thought you already introduced yourselves to everyone else, though? Including each other?" Hisoka tilted his head.

“It’s fine. He’s just trying to get me to get enthusiastic again…” The boy with pink hair said with a sigh.

“Dude, there are basketball leagues played in wheelchairs that do well and pay well, there’s no reason to give up on your dreams just because you haven’t got your legs!” The blonde guy said.

“My dreams ended when that car crushed my legs against a wall. I don’t care what basketball leagues play in wheelchairs – how can I be considered an ultimate when I can’t move most places anymore...?” The pink-haired boy replied.

“Swear it’s just circles with this guy… My name’s Kinzo Takashi. I’m the Ultimate Soccer Player. Nice to meet ya!” Kinzo said. “And don't worry, I’m not gonna give up on Kenji here!”

“It’d be better for you if you did…” Kenji said. “… I’m Kenji Katayama. I was the Ultimate Basketball Player, but I don’t think I’ve got the right to that title anymore,”

“It’s better than my talent, at least…” I said.

“Yeah, see? You’ve still gotta be great if you’re good enough for Hope’s Peak!” Kinzo said.

“They scouted me before the accident… who knows. Maybe I’ll just get kicked out when they see I'm so incompetent now,” Kenji said.

Quickly realising this conversation would go around and around, I bailed it, moving away from the two. Though I did agree with Kinzo more than Kenji...

 

“We’ve been here for ten minutes with no sign of a headmaster or an explanation as to what’s going on,” Seiryo said, folding his arms, and pushing up his glasses.

“I’m sure the headmaster’s just running a little late…” Aeko said. “There’s no way he’d miss the opening ceremony!”

“Opening ceremony?” Airou frowned.

“Yeah, the opening ceremony! This is obviously just the opening ceremony!” Aeko replied.

“Never mind that the opening ceremony is taking place in a strange courtyard rather than the school gym, nor that we’re the only class here, apparently,” Airou said.

"Has anybody actually seen a gym here?" Kokuro asked.

"Not to mention the hallways and rooms don't really give off the impression of a school," Dai said.

“I’m sure it’s just one of many weird things about Hope’s Peak,” Tae said, smiling nervously. “The opening ceremony’ll start soon, I’m sure of it! And we'll know where the gym is afterwards, and our classroom, and everything else!”

And as if cued…

“Are we all ready?” A voice called out from a large rock in the garden, along the back wall. In unison, we all frowned and directed our gaze towards it.

 

I saw a white paw clutch onto the rock, and then a black one… and those paws dragged an odd looking... thing onto the rock. Attached to those paws was a small plush bear, white on one side, black on the other. As I looked at it, I felt a vague sense of unease…

“What the hell is that?” Kinzo yelled, pointing towards the bear.

“It looks like a toy?” Hiroshi said, tilting his head.

“I’m not a toy,” the bear replied. “I’m Monokuma!”

“Eek! It talks!” I cried out.

“Of **course,** I talk,” Monokuma said, somehow frowning. “I’m Monokuma!”

“Bears don’t talk! I'd know, I live with a polar bear at my aquarium, and if he could talk, he would!” Aeko pointed an accusatory finger at Monokuma.

“I’m not a polar bear!” Monokuma replied. “I’m Monokuma, and I am also your headmaster!”

“… That doesn’t sound right.” Delawyn said, arms folded. “The principal of Hope’s Peak Academy is Makoto Naegi. That’s who we were scouted by.”

“Oh, Makoto’s the headmaster of Hope’s Peak, alright,” Monokuma said. “But I thought it was pretty obvious that **you’re** not in Hope’s Peak, and no longer under his care!”

“We’re not…?” Kenji said.

“No, you’re not! Welcome to Kibou-Rehabiri Institute for Gifted Mental Patients!” Monokuma announced.

“Gifted mental patients? But we’re not insane, I don’t think,” Korin said.

“Of course not! You’re all perfectly normal high school students with Ultimate talents. Probably. Anyway. This isn’t a reassignment from Makoto Naegi,” Monokuma said.

Somehow, his eyes took on a sinister gleam, despite being made of plastic.

“It’s a kidnapping.”

 

“K-Kidnapping?” Hisoka frowned as his voice wavered, as he stood in front of me defensively. “What do you mean by that?”

“Easy. You sixteen have been kidnapped and taken to Kibou-Rehabiri Institute for such and such,” Monokuma said.

“But wouldn’t all the nurses and psychiatrists notice we're here, where we shouldn't be?” Kokuro said. "Or at least me. I'm not crazy. Don't know about everybody else."

“They say denying madness is one of the first signs of having it... but don’t be ridiculous, this facility has been abandoned for months slash years! Nobody knows you’re even here!” Monokuma said. “The walls are all soundproof, the exits are super-duper-double secure, the windows are sealed tight and made with reinforced tinted glass, and even the courtyard is blocked off from the outside world with concrete and steel walls! You bastards aren’t leaving any time soon, unless…”

Monokuma stood there for a few moments, waiting for one of us to ask the obvious response to that trailoff. We all stared at each other nervously in the uncomfortable silence. Monokuma laid down on the rock, tapping his claws impatiently. Finally, I broke, unable to take it anymore.

“Unless **what**?” I asked, little realising that what I’d just asked would damn us.

“Unless, **you kill someone**.” Monokuma pushed himself to his feet.

 

For a moment, there was silence between us all. We stood, stupefied at Monokuma’s proposition.

“… Could you elaborate, Monokuma?” A voice behind me said, and I whipped my head around to face its source – Kadiri.

“I said what I mean! If you kill somebody and don’t get caught, you get to leave. Stabbing, bludgeoning, burning, poisoning, drowning, impaling, decapitating, strangling, anything goes! Just kill somebody and don’t get caught!” Monokuma said, before erupting into maniacal laughter.

I felt my blood run cold as I turned back to the rest of the class with distrust in my heart. From the sceptical looks that everyone was giving each other… I could tell that we all felt the same. I not only felt distrust and fear…

I felt shame. If I’d just kept my mouth shut, maybe he would’ve never spoken about this…

“Anyway, if you look in your pockets, you’ll see your student phones. When you log on, it’ll show your name. Though I did call them phones, they have no connection to the outside world. Only the internal network of this system. You’ll be able to call each other from across the academy with these, as well as review our rules and info about your fellow students. The phone will show you who’s calling you, but won’t keep that information,” Monokuma explained. “Anyway, I think that covers everything I want to talk about!”

“Wait, one more thing,” Mokichi said. “What do you mean by ‘don’t get caught’?”

“Geez, it explains that in the rules of your life in this place. My voice is already sore from having to talk to you so much today. Anyway, see you later!” Monokuma said, before disappearing behind the rock.

“Wait a minute!” Hisoka called out, before taking off at breakneck pace towards the rock…

But he was still too slow to catch Monokuma.

 

“Damnit! Fuck, what’s happening to us?” Hisoka yelled, his fist coming down on the rock where Monokuma had been standing moments before.

“For now, we really don’t have much of a choice but to check out the rules,” Kadiri said, taking her phone out of her pocket.

“We’ve got options, though. We can explore for a way out, can’t we? There’s gotta be something that Monokuma missed,” Kinzo said.

“It wouldn’t be that easy, you moron,” Kokuro said, holding up her student phone. “Rule 3: Students are free to explore the institute as they like, but trying to leave is strictly prohibited. Transgressions will be punished.”

“Okay, and the rest of the rules?” Aeko asked.

“Check them yourself, you blue bitch.” Kokuro retorted.

“Blue b-mm?!” Aeko shouted.

“Calm down!” I interjected, pulling out my phone and beginning to read through the rules.

  1. _Students are to live in Kibou-Rehabiri Institute for Gifted Mental Patients indefinitely._
  2. _Food, water, and other amenities will be provided to the students._
  3. _Students are free to explore the institute as they like, but trying to leave is strictly prohibited. Transgressions will be punished._
  4. _Monokuma will never directly perform a murder. When a body is discovered for the first time, an announcement will play once 3 or more people have discovered it._
  5. _Following a period of investigation after the body discovery announcement, a school trial will commence. Students will attempt to find the culprit._
  6. _If the students correctly identify the culprit, then only the culprit will face punishment._
  7. _If the students incorrectly identify the culprit, then the culprit will graduate and be permitted to leave, and all other students will be punished._
  8. _These rules will remain in place until either a student graduates, there are two students left, or the Final Punishment takes place._
  9. _Any student caught breaking these rules will be punished by the Mononurses._



“Okay, two questions. One, what are the Mononurses, and two, what does ‘punishment’ mean?” Mokichi asked.

And again, as if on cue…

Monokuma popped up in front of us again.

Standing behind him were two people, a male and female nurse wearing a mask in the style of Monokuma’s head over their faces. I could also see wires sticking out of the male nurses’ hip and the female nurses’ arm…

“Damnit, I knew I’d forgotten something!” Monokuma announced. “Wait, what was the question again?”

“You mentioned punishment for students who break the rules, get found out as the culprit of a murder, or incorrectly identify the culprit,” Mokichi said. “The Mononurses are self-explanatory, but what does ‘punishment’ mean in the context of this situation?” Mokichi repeated.

“Well, simply put,” Monokuma said. “Execution.”

“E-Execution?!” Aeko shouted, her face paling.

“You heard me right. Execution. You break the rules, get caught, or don’t identify the culprit correctly, and you’re executed!”

“You can’t be serious!” Kinzo shouted. “You can’t just fuckin' execute us!”

“I’m not gonna execute you unfairly. Just follow the rules, don’t kill anybody, and identify the culprits correctly, and you ain’t gonna get executed. You got it?” Monokuma said. And then, without waiting for a response… he disappeared again, along with the nurses.

 

I felt my knees suddenly buckle from underneath me, and I fell to the floor, supporting myself on my hands.

“Maemi?” Hisoka said, crouching down next to me, and I felt his hands on my back and shoulder.

“You already trying to make your move, Hisoka?” Airou chuckled. “The rules say you can’t be caught.”

Something about Airou’s tone snapped me out of my reverie. “H-Hey, Hisoka would never do something like that!”

“Do you have proof he wouldn’t?” Delawyn said, and I could feel her gaze on me even when I wasn’t facing her. “Did you know each other before the situation?”

“N-No, but I’ve got faith that he wouldn’t do something li-“ I was cut off.

“Then you have no way of knowing his true intentions,” Delawyn said, before heading towards the door.

“Hey, where are you going?” Dai asked.

“Away. There were some rooms on the way in. I’m going to figure out which room is mine and take a rest,” Delawyn replied. She said one more thing before she disappeared through the door. 

"... I apologise for snapping like that. None of you deserved that attitude from me."

 

“... God, how can somebody be so calm in this situation? We’ve been locked into a killing game…” Kadiri said, folding her arms.

“But she does have a point,” Korin said. “We’re free to explore the institute as we choose, provided we don’t make any attempt to escape. Perhaps exploring the place is our next best course of action.”

“Alright, then… I’ll stay here and explore the courtyard. Does anyone want to stay with me?” Hiroshi said, raising his hand.

“I’ll stay here and look with you… Maybe we’ll find a koi pond with fish!” Aeko said, a wide smile on her face.

“We probably shouldn’t explore in groups of any less than 3… Can’t exactly go 4, since Delawyn went AWOL,” Kinzo said. “So, me and Kenji’ll stay with you two.”

“… I’m gonna go to my room,” Kenji said.

“Huh? Not you too!” Kinzo said.

“Yes, me too,” Kenji said, before wheeling himself out.

“Well, I’ll go explore the dining area. Maybe I can make us some coffee to help us out!” Tae said with a wide smile.

“Doesn’t coffee just give you more energy?” Seiryo asked. “I mean, the caffeine in it would stimulate our current state, which isn’t exactly great…”

“You’re right… But doesn’t it taste good? I can make coffee so great we’ll forget all about this situation!” Tae said with determination, before taking off towards the kitchen.

“Hey, hold on a moment, Tae!” Seiryo said, before following her out.

“I guess I will follow them… I would not mind a strawberry frappe myself,” Airou said, heading off towards the dining hall as well.

“You all do what you want. I’m going to my room,” Kokuro said, lowering her head, and leaving through the door.

“… I’m going to go investigate the library,” Mokichi said, and without another word, left the room.

“I think I will decide what is most in need of my attention on the way out,” Kadiri said.

One by one, the others filed out of the room, until… only me, Hisoka, Hiroshi, Aeko, and Kinzo remained.

“… So, what do you want to do, Maemi?” Hisoka asked. And once again, he held his hand out to me to help me up. Lowering my head, I took it and stood back up.

“I… really don’t know,” I replied. “I think I’ll be happy with whatever you want to explore.”

“Well, I saw a staircase to our left on the way in… maybe we could head upstairs?” Hisoka suggested.

“Sure, that sounds alright,” I replied. I released my hand from Hisoka’s grip, and the two of us went outside.

 

We both left the courtyard, venturing through the library. Mokichi was sitting at the top of one of the shelves, investigating some of the books, and Kadiri had decided the library was the place that concerned her attention the most. The bookshelves didn’t quite reach the ceiling – they had about a metre of space before doing so. Piled on top were even more books, and Mokichi had created a space to sit in.

“Yo, Mokichi. What have you found so far?” Hisoka asked, stopping us momentarily.

“Books. Lots of books. Surprisingly, a place called a library has a lot of books,” Mokichi replied.

“You don’t need to be sarcastic about it…” I said.

“That’s true, but I don’t know what else to tell you. There are a lot of books. That’s it, nothing else,” Mokichi replied.

“Now, that’s not true. There are some maps and manuscripts and documents and-“ Kadiri said, before being cut off.

“All variations of a book. Are you done?” Mokichi said.

“Well, we are,” Hisoka said.

“Yeah, you guys have fun with this…” I added.

“Huh… wonder if I could get a drag in here,” Kadiri said as we left. Curiosity got me halfway to the door, and I turned around.

“Get a drag…?” I asked.

“Ugh. Have a smoke,” Kadiri said. “In ways **your** brain can understand, I want to have a smoke.”

“That can’t be good for you, not as a high school student,” Mokichi said.

“Nicotine keeps you up, and I need all the energy I can get…” Kadiri continued as Hisoka dragged me out of the library and into the hallway to check the stairs.

 

“… Huh?” I said, once I finally got a good look at them.

“Were the shutters always there?” Hisoka asked.

“I really don’t know…” I said, lowering my head, and biting my lip.

“Hey, are you holding up alright?” Hisoka gently held onto my shoulder.

“Y-…” I opened my mouth to give a general response… and instead, found myself beginning to bawl my eyes out. “Y… No, Hisoka! I don’t know what’s happening, or where we really are, or if I’ll see my friends and family again, or if I’ll even live! And now I can’t even remember whether the shutters were always here!”

I felt both of Hisoka’s hands on my shoulders… they felt nice and warm.

“Hey, eyes on me. Alright? You’re gonna be alright. I know we haven’t known each other for a very long time, but you’re gonna be alright, Maemi,” Hisoka said, giving me a reassuring smile.

And whether I wanted it or not… I felt myself fall forward, sinking my face into Hisoka’s shoulder and sobbing straight into it. Everything… was just so odd, so horrible, that crying into the shoulder of a guy that I’d only known for about an hour seemed normal by comparison.

“Easy… You’re gonna be alright. Even if we ain’t able to escape, someone’s bound to come lookin’ for us. You don't just ignore 16 high school students going missing, let alone Hope's Peak students. It’ll be OK.” I felt Hisoka’s arms close around my shoulders, and… I did feel safer in his arms. I felt like I could stop crying and still be alright.  

“Hah… already there’s some blossoming lovebirds?” I lifted my head up at the sound of someone else’s voice – Seiryo’s.

“N-No, it’s not like that at all! I just…” I began.

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it. Just make sure to use a condom,” Seiryo chuckled, and I watched Hisoka’s face flush almost as red as his hair.

“H-Hey, I don’t need one! Because I’m not planning on doing anything with her!” Hisoka said.

“I was joking. Too much?” Seiryo said, before he smiled. “Though if it’s nervousness you’re still feeling, I’d get Tae to make to a decaf. Her talent speaks for itself, and it certainly helped me settle down a bit. Well… I’m going to head to my room for the time being.” With that, Seiryo walked past us.

An uncomfortable silence hung between me and Hisoka for a couple of moments… I was certain that I wasn’t the only one embarrassed by those sorts of statements.

“… You should probably take Tae up on her offer,” Hisoka suggested, after a few moments.

“… Yeah. Are you gonna come with me?” I asked.

“Yeah, I’ll do that,” Hisoka said. I reached out to grab the handle…

… and the door swung open, and I felt a hand wrap around my wrist. I didn’t even have time to scream before I was pulled through the door.

“Maemi!” Hisoka called out, following me inside.

 

“… Was that too abrupt?” Tae said, tilting her head.

“Do you usually pull your customers through the door like that?” I asked, eyes wide.

“W-Well, no…” Tae pushed her fingertips together as Hisoka entered the dining room.

“Maemi, are you alright?” Hisoka said.

“Y-Yeah, I’m fine. No worries!” I gave a smile, gently wiping my eye with my sleeve.

“Have you been crying? I know just the thing that’ll help your mood!” Tae said, sitting me down. “Wait here, both of you!”

… We didn’t really have much of a choice. I didn't want to make Tae upset, and Hisoka seemed the same. We sat and waited for Tae to return. In complete silence.

 

Tae eventually came back, two cups in her hands.

“Tada!” Tae placed the two cups on the table, one in front of me and the other in front of Hisoka. “Cinnamon-Vanilla Decaf! I used a different sweetener, too, so there’s no excess energy to be found from sugar or caffeine!”

“That seems like a lot of effort to go through…!” I said, taking the cup in my hands.

“Nonsense! Nothing’s too much effort for a cute girl like you!” Tae said. “Now, drink up!”

I did as Tae asked… and as soon as the coffee entered my mouth, I felt flavours I never had before. I felt myself relax almost instantly, and I sunk slightly in my chair.

“See? I told you it would help!” Tae said. “Go ahead Hisoka, you drink up too!”

“Alright, alright,” Hisoka said, before taking a sip. And then another sip. And then… despite the fact the coffee was still hot, he guzzled the whole thing.

“I thought it was supposed to help him relax?” I said.

“It is, I think that’s just his way of relaxing… At least, that’s my guess.” Tae replied, her hands on her hips. “Are you feeling alright now?”

“Yeah… much better, actually. Thank you, Tae.” Hisoka said, and I felt an alarm as I realised I hadn’t thanked Tae yet.

“Y-Yeah, thank you!” I quickly stammered out.

“No problem! Oh! I should probably get around to telling this to the others, but I’ll tell you first,” Tae said. “Okay, so there’s sugar, there’s sweetener, and then… on the same shelf, for some reason, there was rat poison. I moved the rat poison to a lower shelf, though, but just be careful.”

“I don’t think too many people here can’t read rat poison labels…” I said.

“I know, I just thought it was important to know.” Tae said.

“That could be dangerous information, Tae…” Hisoka pointed out. “Maybe we shouldn’t tell anybody else?”

“But it doesn’t feel fair to not tell anybody else… If we all know about the rat poison, it won’t be a surprise if someone…” Tae began, before shaking her head. “Here, Hisoka, I’ll clean out your cup!”

“A-Actually, I feel kind of sleepy… can you clean mine, too? Or at least put it in the fridge – er, if there is one?” I said.

“There is a fridge, thankfully… I’ll stick it inside, no worries!” Tae said, taking my cup.

“You feel alright, Maemi?” Hisoka asked.

“Yeah, just sleepy… I think I’ll go to my room, if that’s alright,” I said.

“Alright. I’ll keep looking around. Be safe,” Hisoka said, waving to me as I left.

 

I wandered through the hallways into the western wing of the institute… I found photographs of us on all of the doors to indicate whose room was whose. I soon found my photograph… my room was between Tae and Kokuro’s room. I twisted the handle and pushed at the door, only to find it wouldn’t open.

“… Huh?” I said, tilting my head. “How do I-“

And, once again, Monokuma appeared in front of me.

“Ah, geez! What do you want now?” I asked.

“Geez, the youth today is pretty defiant to authority,” Monokuma replied, before placing something hard and metal in my hand. “Can’t even show a bit of gratefulness for your room key!”

“My room key?” I asked.

“Yep! You can unlock and lock your door with it! Isn’t it wonderful? Oh, but don’t lose it. I won’t make replacements. Got it?” Monokuma said.

“Y-Yes, I’ve got it… Thank you?” I said.

“Finally, some manners! Everyone else just took the key and entered,” Monokuma said, before disappearing once again.

I shrugged, before placing my new key into the lock, and giving it a turn, hearing a “click!” that indicated the door was unlocked. Turning the handle, I pushed open the door…

 

… and I saw a normal bedroom on the other side. There was a bed, a closet, a bedside table, a mirror, a desk, a notepad, and a small bathroom at the back of the room. Despite the tiredness in my body, I decided to at least check the closet and bedside table. Opening the closet revealed several sets of clothing exactly like what I was wearing. Shrugging, I opened the bedside table and its drawers. Inside, I found a… sewing kit? I didn’t really have any clothes I needed to repair at that moment, so I shut the drawers.

I laid back on my bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. I felt like I shouldn’t be able to get to sleep. That sleeping here was wrong. That I shouldn’t do it.

And yet, falling asleep was exactly what I did…

… That concluded my first day in the Kibou-Rehabiri Institute for Gifted Mental Patients.

What should’ve been a wonderful first day at Hope’s Peak, became a horrible first day in an abandoned mental institute.

And today... it was only the beginning of this horrible, despairing experience.


	2. Chapter 1: Clouded Hope, Clear Despair - Daily Life

**[MONOKUMA THEATRE]**

“If you think your story is growing stagnant or boring, switch things up a little.”

“Add dragons into the story.”

“Even if you’re writing a Workplace Health and Safety manual for your local accounting office, you can make it at least ten percent more exciting if you add dragons.”

“Dragons are great.”

“Switch out the protagonist for a boom mic. That also makes for an interesting story. The life of a boom mic is a story that’s just begging to be written.”

**[MONOKUMA THEATRE]**

            I woke up and sat up in my bed, shoving the covers off of my body, before feeling a stabbing pain enter my skull.

Gah… another headache. Must’ve gotten up too fast.

I groaned, and laid back down on my bed, staring blankly at my ceiling while I waited for the pain to subside.

            Waiting…

            Waiting…

            Waiting…

            …

           

            I heard my doorbell ring, and raised my head to it. “Er, come in?”

            I got no response. Right… the doors lock and unlock with the key Monokuma gave me. Groaning, I stood up, vaguely aware I was a mess, and opened the door.

            I probably should’ve guessed Hisoka would be on the other side.

            “Morning, Maemi!” He greeted me. He looked as though a night’s sleep did him well, at the very least. “Er, did you get enough sleep?”

            “Morning, Hisoka… I got enough sleep, but I just woke up, and I’ve got a massive headache,” I replied.

            “Ouch… I called out to you after ringing the doorbell, so that probably didn’t help,” Hisoka replied.

            “I said you could come in after you did that. Even if the door was locked, shouldn’t you have heard me and told me it was locked?” I asked.

            “I should’ve… maybe our rooms are soundproof?” Hisoka suggested.

            “Here, I’ll close the door again, and we can test it,” I said.

            “What about your headache, Maemi?” Hisoka asked.

            “I think it’s going away… I should be fine now.” I closed the door slowly, leaving open a crack to say one more thing. “Okay, take a deep breath, and then start screaming.” I then shut the door entirely.

            I took a deep breath, and then…

            … started screaming at the top of my lungs, as loudly as I could. Wordlessly. Like I was being chased by a man with an axe and wearing a mask, and I desperately needed help… I screamed, and screamed, and screamed.

            I couldn’t hear Hisoka screaming on the other side.

Was I drowning him out? I stopped for a moment, and still heard nothing. Maybe he’d stopped as well? Had… had something happened to him…?

With trembling hands, I opened the door again.

“What the bloody fuck are you doing?” I heard a voice on the other side ask. Even from here, I could see Kokuro’s black pigtails and black and white uniform.

“Er… we thought the rooms were soundproof, so Maemi closed the door, and I started screaming at it,” Hisoka explained. “I couldn’t hear her on the other side, though.”

“Bizarre behaviour...” Kokuro said, before placing a finger to her temple. “Though I suppose that it resulted in useful information.” Kokuro dusted off her dress. “Whatever the case, I’m going to get breakfast. No more fucking screaming, though.”

So Hisoka was screaming on the other side…

“So… yeah, I think the rooms are soundproof. I couldn’t hear you at all,” I said.

“I wasn’t able to hear you either. So, definitely soundproof,” Hisoka said.

“Should we tell the others?” I asked.

“Well, yeah, but Kokuro’s got the right idea. Let’s get some breakfast first, considering we only had a coffee for dinner last night,” Hisoka said. "Hell, we'll be able to tell the others at breakfast."

“Yeah, that’s a good idea,” I said, before heading towards the dining hall.

 

We arrived at the dining hall to discover most of the others were already there, with plates of cinnamon rolls, pastries, and small bowls of more traditional breakfasts piled neatly onto the table. Though Kokuro kept a table to herself with her fork stuck in her cinnamon roll, and Korin and Satoko sat together with a bowl each, everyone else had pushed tables into the centre of the room. I think they were trying to create a large communal table. I looked around, but I couldn’t see Tae with them.

“Ah, you’re here. Last to arrive again,” Seiryo said.

“Yeah, I slept in, I guess,” I replied.

“No, you didn’t. You only came in a few minutes after most of us,” Kadiri said, and I noticed a stick in her mouth. It looked more like a candy cigarette than an actual cigarette –for the best, I told myself. “Except for Tae. She’s been up since the kitchen unlocked.”

“Unlocked?” I asked, confused.

“Kadiri’s only half-right when she said that you didn’t sleep in,” Kenji said. “The truth is, everyone but Tae slept through the Monokuma announcement.”

“Monokuma announcement?” Hisoka asked.

“Well, aren’t you the king and queen of repeating the last thing said to you?” Kokuro interjected.

“… Tae said there was an announcement at 7am. The kitchen and dining hall lock up at 10pm every night, and unlock again at 7am. That’s what she reported to me.” Delawyn scratched behind her neck. "I was the second to come in, at around 8am."

“I see, I see… seems there’s still a lot we don’t know about this place,” I said, giving a nervous chuckle.

“Well, obviously,” Kadiri said, tossing a lilac pigtail behind her shoulder. 

“Anyway… should we sit down with you guys?” Hisoka asked.

“Yeah, duh. Tae’s in the kitchen making coffee, if you’re wondering where she is,” Kinzo said.

“We even saved you lovebirds seats across from each other,” Airou said.

“Hey, it’s nothing like that! We met less than 24 hours ago! We’re not in some trash romance novel!” I replied.

“Kidding, kidding,” Airou chuckled. Shaking my head, I sat down in one of the spare seats, and Hisoka sat down in the other. I rested my chin on my hands.

“… Have any of you found anything new?” Delawyn asked, leaning across onto the table.

“Maybe we should wait for Tae to get back before we talk about that,” Dai said.

As if on cue, I heard her sunny voice call out from the door to the kitchen.

“I’m back!” Tae announced, and I saw… three entire trays of coffee in her hands, balanced on her head and both her hands.

“Isn’t that dangerous? It could cause severe burns on your skin if you lose your balance,” Seiryo said.

“Don’t worry about it! I’ve done this so many times before, on roller skates, in places way more crowded than this, and I’ve never spilled a drop of coffee anywhere, let alone on myself!” Tae gave a smile as she slid the coffee trays onto the table in front of us, before taking off the one on her head and heading towards those sitting at other tables.

I watched the others grab the coffees from the tray… there were so many different kinds. But in the end, there were two cups remaining on one of the trays.

“Ehe… after you, Hisoka.” I gestured towards the cups.

“Well, if you insist,” Hisoka replied, grabbing the one closest to him, and I grabbed the other one.

“… Now that Tae’s back, I’ll repeat myself. Have we found anything new about this place?” Delawyn asked.

I cleared my throat and spoke up first.

“Hisoka and I found out that our bedrooms are completely soundproof. I tested it after waking up this morning. We screamed at each other from either side of my bedroom's door, and neither of us could hear the other,” I explained.

“I can verify that. I still have the headache from it.” Kokuro rested her head in her hand and took a sip of coffee.

“If you’ve got a headache, you shouldn’t be drinking coffee. The caffeine would only stimulate the pain,” Seiryo said, pushing up his glasses.

“Your **voice** only stimulates the pain,” Kokuro retorted.

“The library has enough books to last a lifetime, so at the very least we won’t have to worry about boredom. Not to mention I found a private study off of the main room,” Mokichi said. “It’s got an A/V section inside. It’s hidden behind one of the bookcases though, so I suspect that it was either a private office for the faculty before this place was abandoned, or a former solitary confinement room.”

“Either way, it’s good to know it’s there…” Kenji said, arms leaned across the table. “… I guess.”

“Oh, I found something in the kitchen!” Tae spoke up.

“Tae, if you’re gonna mention _that,_ you really shouldn’t-“ Hisoka began, but Tae talked over him.

“While going through the cupboards, alongside the knives and forks and other kitchen utensils, I found a box of rat poison. I already told Hisoka and Maemi about it, but I thought the rest of you should know too,” Tae explained.

“Wouldn’t telling us about it make us more inclined to give in to Monokuma’s wishes?” Aeko asked. “I mean, it’s freakin' rat poison!”

“Rat poison is hardly deadly to humans, especially in smaller doses,” Seiryo said. “I don’t think anyone here would be able to consume enough to kill themselves unknowingly.”

“You’re right… But still, it could be dangerous. Maybe I should take it and hide it in my room somewhere?” Tae suggested.

“I would hope you’re not planning to give into Monokuma’s wishes,” Mokichi said.

“I doubt that if she had the rat poison locked up in her room, she would be stupid enough to use it on somebody,” Delawyn said. “It would make her the most obvious suspect.”

“Exactly!” Tae said. “And besides, I’m not the kind of girl to kill someone…”

“It’s still a concern,” Kadiri said. “Maybe just leave it where it is?”

“That’s even more dangerous… if we left it out in the open, now we know about it, we couldn’t track someone down based on who has it…” Kenji said.

This discussion was getting seriously out of hand…!

“Guys, we’re not going to use the rat poison! Or stab each other, or do anything to kill each other!” I yelled, pushing myself to my feet. “Geez, it took less than 24 hours for us all to get paranoid about each other! That’s exactly what Monokuma wants from us!”

“He wants us to kill each other if we want to leave. Isn’t that reason enough to be paranoid?” Kokuro asked. “I don’t plan on dying here.”

“Well, if we all calm down, stay where we are, and adapt to our new situation, we won’t have a problem with that,” Airou replied.

“Yeah… now that I think about it, both Maemi and Airou have a point. We’ve only been here for less than a day and we’re already paranoid! So, everyone! No running near the fish tanks!” Aeko said.

“No running near the fish tank? What the fuck does that mean?” Kinzo asked.

“I think she means that if we let our paranoia get the better of us, we’ll fall into Monokuma’s trap. That’s what you meant, right Aeko?” Dai asked.

“Yeah, that’s exactly right!” Aeko replied. “It was a rule I gave to the kids when they came to my aquarium!”

“We can’t let ourselves fall into Monokuma’s trap. Let’s all calm down for now, and assure each other that we won’t kill each other,” Hisoka said.

We all opened our mouths to make our promise to everyone, when…

 

“Geez, all this lovey-dovey friendship stuff is becoming un-bear-able!”

Before I had a chance to process where that voice came from, Monokuma was standing on the table in front of us. My brain caught up, and I figured that the voice came from him.

“Geez- what the fuck do you want now? Just go away already!” Kinzo shouted.

“Aw, I just wanted to join in!” Monokuma replied. “Y’know, with the whole ‘We won’t kill each other’ emotional crap! Seeing my lovely class work together just warms my fuzzy little heart!”

“… What do you _really_ want?” Korin asked.

“… … … Fine, I’ll tell you! First things first… What’s in the box of rat poison will definitely kill rats, but it’s not actually rat poison.” Monokuma said.

“’First things first’ implies you have more to say,” Delawyn said, her arms folded. “What else do you have to tell us?”

“I’m getting to that, geez! Keep your skin on. I heard you guys were planning on just keeping calm and living the rest of your lives here. That might be fine for you guys, but it’s just way too boring for me. And you wouldn’t like me when I’m bored.” Monokuma held his claw in front of his face.

“We don’t like you anyway,” Kokuro said.

“Geez, I come in with letters from your families and friends, and you’re telling me that you don’t like me even a little bit? That hurts my fuzzy little heart, y’know.”

“You don’t have a heart…” Kenji lowered his head.

Monokuma clutched his chest in mock-hurt. "I do so have a heart! You kids wound it so! Boo hoo... you're tearing me apart!"

“Letters from our families?” Korin scowled. “Keep mine and Satoko’s. I have no interest in what our parents have to say, and neither does Satoko. Right, Satoko?”

Satoko shook her head.

“It wouldn’t be fair if I didn’t give them to everybody!” Monokuma said, as he thrust envelopes into our hands. “Enjoy!”

“Enjoy? What’s the purpose of giving us letters from our loved ones?” Aeko asked.

“Upupupu…” Monokuma laughed. “… You know why.”

“… No, we don’t. Why- hey!” Hisoka stood up as Monokuma slid off the table and ran out of the room.

“It’s not worth it, Hisoka. Sit down,” Delawyn instructed.

“Gah… always running away, the little coward,” Hisoka groaned, before sitting back down.

 

“So, what should we do about the letters?” Dai asked.

“I’m throwing mine away. I do not care what our parents have to say to us.” Korin stood up, ripping his envelope in half.

“Where are you going to throw them away…?” Kenji asked.

“There’s a bin in all of our rooms. I’m going to throw my letter away, and I suspect Satoko will do the same.” Korin replied. He and Satoko stood up, and both of them left the dining hall.

“I won’t deny I’m curious as to what my siblings have to say,” Airou said with a chuckle. To our surprise…

... he slid his nail across his envelope, and we all heard the rip of the paper, as he pulled it out.

Then, Airou did something truly weird.

He read his letter out in front of all of us.

“Dear Airou… oh, we’ve been searching for you for ages! For the last week you’ve just been despair-inducingly untraceable! We’re throwing this letter out there in the hopes that you’ll find it, somehow, wherever you are! Please, come back to us! Signed, Etsuko,” Airou said, before he smiled. “Aw, how sweet! They miss me.”

“What are you playing at? First you say you want to adapt to our situation, and now you’re getting sentimental about your siblings?” Hisoka frowned.

“I love my siblings lots, that much is true. But I can adapt to my life here without them,” Airou replied. “So, what about the rest of you? I bet two hundred yen that the rest of you are all at least curious about what’s in your letters.”

“You’re trying to push us into reading them, aren’t you…” Kenji said, resting his head on the table.

“Push you? No, no. If you decide to read yours, it’s your own choice.” Airou leaned back, placing his feet onto the table.

“You can stop that, now.” Delawyn folded her arms. “It’s pretty clear that’s a lie. You want to create a situation in which we’re all distrustful of each other. Which is strange, for someone saying they’d rather we all adapt.”

“It’ll be your decision if you snap under the pressure. I won’t, and I can hope the rest of you won’t, but if nobody does, the game is boring,” Airou replied.

As much as that annoyed me, I couldn’t deny that the curiosity was getting the better of me… but I didn’t want to open my letter in front of everybody.

Someone’s curiosity did get the better of them, though. I heard another envelope become peeled open. I felt my chest grow tight, before investigating its source… Hiroshi had opened his letter.

“Dear Hiroshi…” He began, frowning as he read it. However, as he finished, his face drained of blood.

“What’s the matter, Hiro?” Kadiri asked.

“I… I’m going to go to the courtyard. I need some fresh air and to be around some plant life for a while,” Hiroshi said, pushing himself to his feet and ducking out of the door.

I stared back down at my letter again…

… and finally, couldn’t take it anymore, company be damned. I ripped open the envelope, and began reading silently to myself.

 

_Dear Maemi,_

_I worry about you every day. I’m searching for you endlessly across the entire country. I can only hope to be reunited with you soon. Please be alright._

_-Mineko Akemi_

I felt my blood run cold at the sight of the letter. Mother…

I felt my eyes begin to water.

“Maemi?” I heard Hisoka’s voice, but… I couldn’t look up at him. I just stared down at my mother’s words…

“Don’t let it get to you,” I heard Dai’s voice say. Despite my wish to just sit and cry, and despite ignoring Hisoka… I felt my eyes drawn to her, and I saw her envelope in her hands, open with the letter sticking out. “… It’d just be disastrous if you did.”

“Dai’s got a point,” Hisoka said. “We’ve gotta do our best. I’m not asking you to not care about your mother, but don’t play into Monokuma’s motive.”

“Monokuma’s motive…?” Aeko looked up from her letter, her face similar to Hiroshi’s after he read his own – drained of blood.

“Duh! He just gives out letters from our families. He’s gotta be trying to get us to kill each other, by promising reunion with our loved ones if we kill and get away with it," Hisoka said. "We can’t play into Monokuma’s motive!”

“But is it as easy said as done?” Kadiri asked. “We all just read ours to ourselves. The only one we all know of is Airou’s.”

“It doesn’t matter if it’s that easy or not!” Tae said. “Hisoka’s right, we can’t just play into Monokuma’s hands like that if we want to all be rescued!”

“But the chance of that murder happening is already here. Maemi and Hiroshi’s reactions to their letters are proof enough of that,” Mokichi said. “The question now isn’t **if** someone commits murder. It’s **when**.”

I stood up, palms pressed into the table. “Nobody’s going to kill anyone! Not me, not Hiroshi, not anybody!”

“You can speak for yourself, certainly. But you cannot speak for anyone else,” Mokichi replied. “Especially not for those who aren’t here.”

“Maybe I can’t speak for them, but I’ve got faith in everyone! We’re not going to kill each other!” I yelled back.

“Enough of this blindly optimistic nonsense. I’m going to go to the study.” Mokichi picked up his coffee and headed towards the door. “Maybe I’ll find more sense in the books than in my apparent classmates.”

“Mokichi! Get back here!” I shouted, but my protest was ignored.

He left the room without another word.

I gritted my teeth together. “God, he sounds just like Monokuma right now!”

“I wouldn’t worry on it too much, Maemi,” Dai said. “You can’t fix people like him.”

“He’d be way more likeable if he would just be more optimistic...” Kinzo said. “Gah, I need time out. I’m gonna go see if there’s a ball or something ball-like and start kicking it around in the courtyard.”

“I guess that means breakfast is over, then...” Tae lowered her head, beginning to pick up the empty coffee cups.

“I guess that leaves us with whatever we’re gonna do for the day,” Seiryo said. I lowered my own head, nodding.

“I… I’m going to head back to my room for a while,” I said, standing up and bowing. “Thank you for the coffee, Tae.”

“No problem, I hope you feel better soon!” Tae smiled as though she were a beam of sunlight. I returned the smile nervously, and walked back to my room.

 

I threw myself onto my bed and let myself sink into the soft covers, and let every scream that had compressed itself in my throat free.

I screamed, and screamed, and screamed. In frustration, in anxiety, in misery. In worry for my mother. In worry for my new friends. In worry for Hisoka. I screamed until my throat began to hurt.

And then, for a few moments, I just laid in my bed, waiting for the burning sensation to subside from my throat. As it finally did, I sighed.

I remained laid back on my bed for a bit, before I eventually decided that I should probably go talk to someone for the day – spending it all screaming was probably the fastest way to kill my voice permanently. I pushed myself to my feet, leaving my room and heading out.

 

I wandered around the facility for a bit, before I finally ran into Dai.

“… An archery range of some kind would be enjoyable, but I suppose that is a large request to make,” She seemed to be talking to herself.

“Hey, Dai, do you want to spend some time together?” I asked.

“Oh? Sure. Perhaps we can build a makeshift range in the courtyard together,” Dai replied.

 

I spent some time building a basic dart board with Dai…

 

It seems me and Dai got a little closer today.

 

For a moment, we stood in complete silence. Neither of us said anything to the other. Dai… now that I’m completely alone with her, I’ve realised she’s kind of intimidating.

“Are you feeling okay, Maemi?” Dai asked.

“Oh- ah, yeah,” I replied.

“I see,” Dai said. And… we went straight back to standing in silence. God, I couldn’t keep letting this happen, no matter how anxious I felt!

“… So, when did you learn how to shoot a bow and arrow?” I asked.

“For as long as I can remember, I believe. Since I was a young girl,” Dai replied. “My mother was a world-famous archer, and she wanted to keep that accomplishment in the family name. So, she trained me to shoot since I was very little.”

“That’s amazing!” I said. “Are you able to split an apple with an arrow from on top of someone’s head?”

“That’s… I could, I believe, but that’s generally something seen in the movies,” Dai said. “That, and archery doesn’t always involve standing still and aiming at a still target. A lot of what I do is aiming my bow at moving targets, while moving myself. Sometimes, I’ll be firing an arrow while holding the bow with my foot, clinging to life from a cliff face. Archery is more strenuous on the body than the movies may make it seem.” She held her right arm out to me. “Go on, touch my bicep if you don’t believe me.”

“Is it really okay?” I said, though I couldn’t deny I was curious…

“Of course. I wouldn’t be offering if it wasn’t,” Dai said.

“Right, right…” I said, before placing my hands on her bicep. Wow… it was really firm and toned, the muscles plainly rigid despite her uniform.

“You must be pretty strong…” was the only comment I could make.

“Shooting an arrow over 300 metres at all isn’t a task easily accomplished by those physically weak, let alone hitting a target,” Dai replied as I let go of her.

“I can’t imagine it would be easy…” I said. “I played with a water pistol once, and even aiming with that wa-“

Dai cut me off. “ **A gun is the weapon of a coward.** ”

“O-Oh, sorry!” I stammered out, hands held up defensively.

“… I apologize. I am aware this attitude towards guns is generally seen as edgy. But archery, while used in the past to kill, was also and is now, a show of skill and expertise, usually for performance. Conversely, the sole purpose of legitimate firearms seems to be killing others,” Dai replied. “Not only that, but anybody can fire a gun. Even little children, unfortunately.”

“Y-Yeah… sorry. It’s probably a sensitive topic for you,” I said.

“Do not worry your pretty little head, Maemi.” Dai gently petted my head. “I will take care in the future to avoid the topic. But for now, I think it’s best we part ways.”

“Y-Yeah… okay,” I said, turning and waving goodbye.

 

I turned to the monitor as I parted ways with Dai. I still had some time before night time… so I began wandering the asylum again. Blindly, and hoping to run into somebody while walking aimlessly. Eventually, my feet carried me into the library for the 3rd time, and I looked up and saw Seiryo browsing through some of the books.

“A lot of these titles seem pretty old… and for the library of an insane asylum, there are a lot of fictional books in easy grabbing reach of the patients,” Seiryo mused to himself.

“Hey, Seiryo, do you want to spend some time together?” I asked.

“Huh? Oh, sure, Maemi. Maybe you can help me colour-code the bookshelves to separate fiction from non-fiction for everybody else,” Seiryo replied.

 

I spent some time applying red and green stickers to the bookshelves with Seiryo…

 

It looks like me and Seiryo got a little closer today.

“Hey, so,” I began, placing my hands on my hips. “Have you had any thoughts as to what your talent might be?”

“Hah, who knows? Maybe I don’t even have one,” Seiryo replied. “It’s something I’m concerned with, but it’s neither the only thing on my mind, nor anything you need to concern yourself with.”

“I know that,” I said. “I was just wondering if you had any thoughts. Anything that might lead you towards it?”

“I already said,” Seiryo pushed up his glasses before folding his arms, “it’s nothing you need to concern yourself with.”

“I don’t _need_ to concern myself with it, but I’m still allowed to, and I want to,” I pouted. “It’s not fair that one of us is left in the dark about their talent.”

“Maybe. But I don’t know what help a shadow puppeteer could be in rediscovering my talent,” Seiryo said.

“Hey- alright, yeah, my talent isn’t great! But that doesn’t mean that I don’t have other qualities!” I said.

“True,” Seiryo said. “You should calm down, though.”

“Alright, I’m calm.” I took a deep breath. “So will you accept my help with finding your talent?”

“Finding my talent, or lack thereof,” Seiryo said, with a chuckle on the end. “I don’t need your help, but I guess I won’t stop you.”

“Then it’s settled! Do you have any guesses so far?” I asked.

“I’m afraid not. My wardrobe’s given no indications, and neither have my room fittings. My glasses aren’t for show, and my dreads are neat and tidy. But that doesn’t help me at all,” Seiryo replied.

“Alright… new plan. I’ll say some random talents off the top of my head, and you tell me if you think they fit!” I said. Before Seiryo could argue, I began listing them off. “Uh… Ventriloquist? Adventurer? Detective? Firefighter? Police officer?”

“I don’t think high school students are allowed on the police force,” Seiryo mused.

“Alright, then… Architect? Linguist? Archaeologist?”

“… No, none of those sound right, either,” Seiryo said, with a defeated sigh. “May I suggest we retire this discussion for the time being? I don’t think it’s going anywhere.”

I paused for a moment, before folding my arms and huffing. “Ugh… fine.”

“I also think we should part ways for the time being, Maemi. But it was nice speaking with you.” Seiryo waved, as he left me alone in the hallways.

 

I heard the monitor chime on beside me, with Monokuma showing up on it with a champagne glass full of wine in his hand.

“Attention all lunatics: it is now 10pm,” He began. “It is now officially nighttime. The doors to the cafeteria and dining hall will lock shortly. Please, all of you have pleasant dreams, and we’ll see each other tomorrow morning!” The monitors shut off.

I realised my body was a lot more tired than I had initially gauged, as I slouched off towards my room. I gave a nod of acknowledgement to someone – I think it was Delawyn, judging by the bright ginger-red hair – and walked into my room.

I barely wasted time – I took off my shoes and collapsed into my bed face-first, turning my head to the side as I allowed sleep to overtake me. My eyes fell closed, and I embraced the warmth of my bed. I was none the wiser of what was about to unfold…

 

**[MONOKUMA THEATRE]**

“Sometimes I like to slather my whole body in honey. It’s warm, it’s sticky, it’s sweet, and it mimics the love that my mother gave me as a cub.”

“Oh, how I miss her. Maybe in retrospect, eating her was a bad idea.”

“I got a new mother, though. She was even sweeter and more loving than the last.”

“Probably shouldn’t have eaten her, too.”

“Oh well…”

**[MONOKUMA THEATRE]**

\-------

 

The chimes from the monitor in my room were what woke me up the next day. With bleary eyes still trying to wake up, I looked towards it. Of course, Monokuma appeared, the same as he had the last night.

“Ahem- attention, all lunatics! It is now 7am! The cafeteria and dining hall have been unlocked,” Monokuma announced. “Please, let’s all have a wonderful day together!” The monitors shut off as Monokuma finished his morning announcement.

I groaned, tossing one of my pillows at the monitor, before lying back and trying to get a little more sleep. Monokuma and his antics could wait…

 

I’m not sure exactly how much later I woke up, but I heard my doorbell ring. I opened it, smiling, and rubbing my eyes.

“Morning, Hiso-“ I began, before stopping myself. Hiroshi was standing in front of my door instead. “S-Sorry, Hiroshi…”

“Oh, it’s okay, I’m not surprised by that reaction.” Hiroshi bowed his head. “But we should still all gather in the dining hall, right?”

“Right!” I said, smoothing out my skirt and heading into the dining hall.

 

I scanned the area upon entering – Korin and Satoko sat at a table alone with a cup of coffee each, and everyone else was gathered around the central dining table. Well… ‘everyone’ wasn’t entirely accurate.

“Where’s-“ I began.

“Kokuro, Seiryo, Tae, Aeko, and Hisoka?” Airou finished. “Kokuro won’t come out of her room and only briefly answered the doorbell with an... 'eff off', Seiryo said he was re-reading his note, and Tae is in the kitchen making breakfast. As for Aeko and Hisoka… Kikiki, I haven’t heard from them all morning.”

“D-Don’t laugh like that before saying you haven’t seen them!” I said, and I felt my heart begin to race.

“You can’t deny the possibility,” Airou replied. “The motives by Monokuma, the rules of the game…”

“A pretty young man like yourself has no business toying with Maemi like that,” Korin said.

“Toying with her? No, no, no. I am simply stating a very real possibility,” Airou said.

“Still, don’t play with Maemi’s emotions like that,” Hiroshi said.

“Well, if they are, they are, correct?” Airou said, before chuckling. “You never know what could’ve happened to them in this environment, under this pressure.”

“I…’m gonna be right back,” I said. I passed by a sleepy Aeko on the way in, offering a ‘good morning’ to her and a sigh of relief to myself that she was OK. But still, Hisoka…!

I turned the corner to the boy’s dormitories, and…

…

…

… crashed straight into him.

 

“Ow!” Hisoka exclaimed, and I grabbed onto his arm to steady both myself and him.

“S-Sorry!” I replied, breathing slow, deep sighs of relief.

“Hey, no harm done, but- Maemi, are you alright?” Hisoka asked, and I felt his hand on my shoulder.

“Y-Yeah. I was stupid, and I listened to Airou when he said that you might be-“ I stopped myself, and Hisoka sighed, shaking his head.

“Well, I’m fine. I just took a bit longer than usual to get ready this morning,” Hisoka said, before pointing behind me to the dining hall. "Hair wasn't tying up."

“Ah, right, we should go,” I said, turning back towards the dining hall, Hisoka right behind me.

 

“See, Hiroshi? Everything’s fine! Airou’s just trying to rile you up,” came Tae’s voice as the two walked back into the hall.

“I-It’s not something to joke about, though…!” Hiroshi said, trembling slightly in his seat.

“I know, I know,” Tae said. “You can’t let him get to you.”

“Tae’s right. Besides, guys shouldn’t turn on each other. We should all be dear friends,” Korin said.

“Lighten up a little. I’m having a bit of fun,” Airou said. “Besides. Everyone is here, and everyone’s turned up OK.”

“The death of one of our friends isn’t fun, Airou,” I said. “Nor is it funny.”

“Tsk tsk tsk… what did I just say?” Airou leaned back in his seat.

“Just ignore him,” Delawyn said. “Anyway, I’ve finished my coffee for the time being.”

“Oh! Um, who else is finished? I can make another round while you guys eat breakfast!” Tae said. “And someone should probably take breakfast to Seiryo and Kokuro, too.”

“I guess I’m done…” Kenji shrugged, pushing his mug forward.

“As am I.” Mokichi leaned back, and Tae took the two mugs in her hands.

“I’m finished!” Aeko said, raising her hand with a smile.

“Oh. Uh, Aeko,” Kadiri began, before gesturing to the top of her head. “You’re missing something.”

“Huh?” Aeko frowned, before her hands went to the top of her head. “Oh! Damnit! I left my beanie in my dorm room! I’ll be right back.” She shoved herself out of her seat.

“I gotta go pee, so I might as well go now.” Kinzo pushed himself to his feet as well, heading towards the door as soon as Aeko left the room.

“Alright, guess I should go back and make more coffee,” Tae said, heading into the kitchen again.

 

We engaged in conversation with each other for a while, Aeko coming back soon with her beanie and a smile on her face. I took a few sips of the coffee I had, and ate some of the breakfast put out for us. I managed to relax a little and just ignore the situation at hand for a while…

Eventually, both Tae and Kinzo came back at the same time.

“Sorry I took a while. Wound up having to switch halfway through.” Kinzo rubbed the back of his neck.

“… Too much information,” Kadiri said, looking as though she was about to gag.

“Yeah, you don’t have to tell us…” Kenji said, taking one of the newly made coffees from Tae.

“Yeah, you're right. Sorry about that.” Kinzo sat back down, leaning back and grabbing his half-finished coffee.

“Ugh. The sooner this is over, the better. I’ll be taking the AV study after this,” Mokichi said, grabbing one of the remaining two coffees.  

“What if someone else wants to use it?” Dai asked.

“Do you?” Mokichi returned the question.

“Not myself, particularly,” Dai replied.

“Anybody else want to use the AV study?” Mokichi asked. We all remained silent, and he took a sip of coffee while waiting for a response.

“I will assume that means-“ Mokichi said, before... breaking into a fit of coughs.

 

“Mokichi?” I asked, frowning. “Are you alright?”

Mokichi continued coughing.

“M-Mokichi…?!” Tae moved to his side, but he just continued coughing, his hands wrapping themselves around his throat.

Aeko and Hiroshi stood up as well, followed by myself and Hisoka… and soon, almost all of us were at our feet.

 

One of Mokichi’s hands let go of his throat and grasped for something in front of him…

…and then he slumped down in front of all of us, the glass of his goggles cracking.

 

A chime on the monitor from Monokuma accompanied our horror…

“Ding-dong-ding-dong! A body has been discovered! Following a brief period of investigation, we shall conduct our Class Trial!”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... Yeah, this is the daily life I rushed. Badly. I apologise.


	3. Chapter 1: Clouded Hope, Clear Despair - Deadly Life

I couldn’t do anything but stand there, mouth agape and eyes wide, as the Monokuma announcement rung through my ears. There had to be a mistake. This had to be some cruel prank that Mokichi was pulling. This had to be a robot duplicate. A wax replica. A hallucination. My mind swam for as many reasons as I could to justify not just seeing a dead body, but the dead body of one of our friends…

…and the dead body of someone who had died right in front of us, with us all left helpless to watch.

“N-No way… no way!” Tae’s tiny frame shivered as she stared at the body.

            “The… the fuck’s going on?” Kinzo glanced at the monitor, then at Mokichi, then at Kenji, and kept looping and switching between the three.

 

 

            And before any of us were fully prepared…

            “I’m baaaaack!” Monokuma announced cheerfully, leaping up onto the table in front of us. “Did you miss me?”

            “You again…?” Kenji groaned, frowning.

            “Yep, yep, yep!” Monokuma nodded. “Don’t look so sad to see me. I’m much happier when you guys are happy! Now, let me see your bright happy smiles!”

            “How can you say something like that now? Our friend… Mokichi… He’s…” Tae stammered.

“Dead,” Monokuma finished. “Which means we can get to the exciting part of this little kidnapping adventure!”

“You mean the class trial, I assume.” Dai said.

“Yep! When three or more people discover a body, the body discovery announcement will play!” Monokuma gleefully announced. “I will give you all some time to investigate, but when that time is up, we will all meet in the courtyard and head towards your Class Trial room! I’ll explain more about how the class trial is going to work when we start that. But for now,” Monokuma pulled out a phone similar to the ones we all had. “Check out your phones for the Monokuma File on the murder, and happy investigating!”

 

 

Monokuma disappeared, leaving us with only a few more answers than we had.

“… We may as well get started,” Airou said, taking his phone out of his pocket.

“Hey, how are you so calm? Someone just died!” Aeko said, placing her hands against the table.

“And if we don’t solve the murder, 14 more of us will, too,” Airou said. “Personally, I don’t want to go just yet. Besides, I already have a suspicious person in mind.”

“And who’s that?” Kinzo asked.

“Tae, obviously. She was the one that gave Mokichi the coffee that killed him,” Airou replied.

“I- What…?” Tae’s face drained of blood.

“He’s got a point,” Kinzo added. “She could’ve done something to the coffee that killed him.”

“I would never-“ Tae’s defence was cut off by the sound of footsteps. I looked towards the doors, and saw Seiryo and Kokuro standing in the doorway.

“We heard a body discovery announcement,” Seiryo said. “Is everything alright?”

“… There’s a body discovery announcement and you want to know if everything is _alright_?” Kokuro shook her head.

“I’m just trying to be somewhat tactful,” Seiryo said, folding his arms.

“Mokichi’s dead,” Hisoka replied.

“And, should we fail to solve his murder, we will all die too,” Kadiri said.

“In which case, the rest of you better get a move on,” Airou said, pointing to his phone, displaying what I guessed was the Monokuma File. “I can’t be solving all the big mysteries here.”

Ignoring Airou’s snide remarks, I pulled out my own phone, and the file was plain to see on the screen as it booted up.

 

 

_The victim was Mokichi Hatsu._

_The time of death was 8:00 am. The body was found at the exact same time._

_The body was found in the dining hall on the first floor._

_The victim died almost instantly from ingesting poison. The only other wounds present were not inflicted within the past few days._

     ---

  * **TRUTH BULLET – MONOKUMA FILE**



**\---**

 

 

“So, poison was definitely the cause of death…” I announced.

“I have no idea why they’d mention his flying wounds, though,” Dai admitted.

“Okay, that aside, poison’s the murder weapon. Got that much. What should we do now?” Aeko asked.

“Investigate, I presume,” Dai said.

“Investigate? But we don’t know anything about how to investigate!” Hiroshi exclaimed.

“Then I guess we’ll learn on the job. Let’s first get someone to guard the crime scene,” Airou said.

“Two people should guard the crime scene,” Kadiri said. “On the off chance that we pick the culprit to guard the crime scene, of course.”

“We already know the culprit’s Tae,” said Kinzo. “She gave Mokichi the coffee that killed him.”

“I-I swear, it wasn’t me!” Tae said, holding her hands up defensively.

“You’ve got your flimsy testimony vs the obvious implications that you could’ve easily done it. There’s virtually no need for the trial with that card against you. Wouldn’t the rest of you agree?” Airou smiled, folding his hands together.

“No.” Delawyn folded her arms.

“No? The evidence points to-“ Airou began. He didn’t get to say much more, though – Delawyn was centimetres away from his face within moments, and I could see her emerald green eyes piercing practically into his soul. Eyes with the intent to harm him if he didn’t stay quiet as she spoke to him.

“There are others that could have done it. You said so yourself – if we don’t solve the murder, we die. We can’t afford to throw it to chance, even if you believe it’s obvious.” She said, never breaking eye contact, and never showing emotion.

Airou didn’t say anything, but held his hands up, backing away with a snide smile on his face. “Very well. If that is how you feel, you and I will guard the crime scene.”

“Fine,” Delawyn said, her expression still unchanging.

“What should the rest of us do, then…?” Kenji asked.

“I guess we should start investigating,” I said.

“We?” Hisoka asked. “Maemi, I don’t know the first thing about investigating.”

“Neither do I, but we need to do something,” I replied. “Or we’re all going to die. So… let’s do what we can to investigate. We’ll investigate everywhere we can, so there’s no way we’ll miss anything. Okay?”

“Yeah, okay,” Hisoka said.

“That goes for the rest of you, too. Pair off and see what we can find,” I said. “And be careful.”

 

**_INVESTIGATION [START!]_ **

 

First, I decided to investigate Mokichi’s body… I took a deep breath, before crouching down next to where he was slumped.

His face had gone pink, as had his limbs. There was a line of drool that was a similar colour to the coffee he had drunk dripping down the side of his mouth. Unknowing of what else to do, I pressed my finger to his wrist…

… and felt nothing. Mokichi was 100%, undoubtedly, dead. And he’d died right in front of us.

“… Cyanide poisoning.” I heard Delawyn’s voice beside me.

“Huh?” I said.

“Mokichi died from cyanide poisoning,” Delawyn repeated.

“How do you know that?” I asked.

“I’m an assassin,” Delawyn replied, as though that explained everything.

“Uh…” Hisoka tilted his head.

“… I’ve used cyanide before. It doesn’t take much to kill somebody,” Delawyn explained. “About a tablespoon will do it. That much could easily be hidden within a morning coffee.”

“Where the hell would someone get cyanide in a mental asylum?” Hisoka asked.

“Not sure. Especially not with the rooms given to us,” Delawyn said. She eyed me up and down for a few moments, but shook her head. “No, I can’t trust you with any theories about our situation yet.”

“I… see,” I replied. “Um… The cyanide would be laced in the coffee as you said, right?”

“Most likely. Mokichi showed the symptoms of poisoning after he drank it,” Delawyn said.

“Okay. Thank you for your help,” I said. Delawyn just nodded in reply.

\---

  * **TRUTH BULLET – DELAWYN’S TESTIMONY: CYANIDE LACED COFFEE**



\---

            I nodded as well, backing away.

            “Maybe now we should start looking for clues elsewhere?” Hisoka suggested.

            “Yeah, I agree… Let’s check the kitchen. I think we would’ve all seen it if the coffee was laced in the dining hall,” I agreed. “After all, we’re not magicians.”

 

 

            Hisoka and I entered the kitchen. I’m not exactly sure what I expected…

…Maybe some kind of huge mess. But it didn’t really seem like it was in any disarray at a first glance…

“Hey, come look at this!” Hisoka called out, running towards something lying on the floor. I ran over as well. By the time we reached it, Hisoka was crouched on the floor, next to a box.

“What is it?” I asked, pre-emptively. As the last word left my mouth, I realised it was a box of rat poison.

“Rat poison,” Hisoka replied, echoing my thoughts. “I think the box Tae mentioned.”

“Okay, so there was rat poison. What’s it doing behind the counter, and on the floor?” I asked.

“Dunno. But it could be important,” Hisoka said.

“Right, got it,” I said.

\---

  * **TRUTH BULLET – RAT POISON BEHIND COUNTER**



**\---**

 

 

“Alright, so we found that. We should probably keep investigating. You check the middle counter where the coffee is, I’ll check the rest of the kitchen,” I instructed.

“Gotcha, Maemi.” Hisoka gave me a thumbs-up, and I started walking around the rest of the kitchen, keeping my eyes peeled for anything that could be useful.

At first, I thought I would find nothing, and this entire thing would turn out to be a waste of time. But then something shiny against the dark black tiles of the kitchen caught my eyes… There were scratches in the tile, revealing shiny, silvery metal underneath the black tile coating. They smeared out from one location, the impact facing the open archway of the door.

“That’s odd…” I said, lowering myself to the floor to take a closer look. I couldn’t quite make out what it was supposed to be, but it kind of looked like a …footprint? I couldn’t be sure, though.

“Oh, Maemi?” Hisoka asked. I turned my head, and he waved me over to the edge.

“Huh? Sorry, but what exactly am I looking for here?” I asked.

“I found some coffee dripping onto the floor here,” Hisoka said, pointing out a coffee stain on the side of the counter with the rat poison nearby.

“Huh? That seems like a pretty obscure thing to look for,” I replied.

“Probably, but-“ Hisoka was interrupted when Tae burst into the kitchen through the dining room door, her eyes full of tears.

“Tae?” I looked up, heading towards her. “What’s wrong?”

“Airou… he kept trying to insist I was the culprit, and then he said he hoped that my execution would be long and painful!” Tae replied. “Delawyn suggested I take some time away and avoid him from now on, but…” Tae said, before covering her face and sobbing.

“Hey, it’s alright. We’ll find Mokichi’s killer,” I said, gently holding onto her shoulder. “All of us. Together.”

“Aaa… alright, Maemi,” Tae said, wiping her face. “You’re not just a cute girl… you’re really helpful, too.”

“I thought of something you could help us with,” Hisoka said.

“Ask away…” Tae said.

“For one, did you notice the rat poison and coffee stain on the side of the counter?” Hisoka asked.

“The w- The what and who now?” Tae’s eyes widened, and she leaned around Hisoka to look.

“I didn’t see those at all,” Tae admitted. “When did that happen?”

“Huh? Weren’t you in here the entire time?” I asked. “How could you not see them?”

“Er… actually, I… wasn’t in the kitchen the entire time,” Tae said. “I went out to the courtyard about a few minutes after entering the kitchen with the empty mugs. I’d nearly finished, so I decided to go check. The courtyard isn’t that far away, so I figured I’d be back quickly.”

“Um… why’d you go to the courtyard?” I asked.

“I got a call from Seiryo. He said he wanted to meet up in the courtyard to discuss something he found. Or… at least I think it was Seiryo. I… didn’t check the call ID. I kinda picked up that habit during my training as a barista – it wastes time to check caller ID, and I guess that habit stuck – sorry, I got off track! Um… He sounded weird… like he had a cold, or just something didn’t sound right. I went to the courtyard and stood there for about 3 minutes waiting, before I realised I’d been pranked, and went back. I picked up the coffees and heard a scratching noise, but when I looked back, there was nothing there, so I decided to ignore it,” Tae explained. “Sorry if it’s not very helpful…”

“No, that could be extremely useful information,” Hisoka said.

“Yeah, thank you for your help, Tae,” I said.

“No problem!” Tae smiled widely.

\---

  * **TRUTH BULLET – SCRATCHES NEAR REFRIDGERATOR**
  * **TRUTH BULLET – COFFEE STAIN ON COUNTER**
  * **TRUTH BULLET – TAE’S TESTIMONY: COURTYARD CALL**



**\---**

“Well, we should probably investigate elsewhere…” I said.

“I’ll go check out the bathrooms. Maybe you can check the courtyard or gather testimonies?” Hisoka suggested.

“Okay, be careful!” I said, before heading towards the courtyard, waving to Hisoka as I left.

 

 

I walked towards the courtyard, and I saw Aeko in the library. I glanced at the door to the courtyard for a moment, before I walked up to Aeko instead.

“Hey, Aeko!” I said.

“Oh- hey, Maemi!” Aeko replied. “Sorry I haven’t been investigating, but I dunno the first thing about investigating.”

“That’s okay, I’m not very good at this either… I don’t think any of us are. A detective would be useful as hell right now,” I said. “Though I do wanna know something.”

“Ask away!” Aeko said.

“Alright, so, did you see anything weird while grabbing your beanie?” I asked.

“Hm… kind of? I heard Kinzo go out behind me, and yeah, he did go to the bathroom. I grabbed my beanie quickly off of the beanie stand I use-“

I cut Aeko off. “Beanie stand?”

“Oh, I use a stand for my beanie! Keeps it fluffy and neat!” Aeko replied. “So yeah, I grabbed my beanie off its stand and rushed back out. On the way out, I saw Tae heading into the library. Dunno why.”

“She said she got called into the courtyard, so she was likely heading there,” I said.

“Oh, really? Who called her?” Aeko asked.

“She said Seiryo called her out,” I said.

“Okay… that’s weird. You think that has anything to do with the case?” Aeko said.

“I… really dunno. Probably,” I replied. “Okay, thanks for letting me know!”

“No problem!” Aeko replied, giving me two thumbs-up.

\---

  * **TRUTH BULLET – AEKO’S TESTIMONY: TAE ENTERS COURTYARD**



**\---**

I went into the courtyard after receiving Aeko’s testimony, but aside from a few footsteps, there was no trace of anybody having been in here in the last 2 hours, and I could tell from a glance those footsteps were Tae’s, given their size and the fact she had the smallest feet of all of us.

Given what Aeko had already told me, I didn’t think that the footsteps would prove important – they just verified that Tae had been here. I headed back to the hall to see what Hisoka had found.

\---

  * **TRUTH BULLET – SMALL FOOTSTEPS IN COUTRYARD**



**\---**

 

 

I walked back to the main hall, looking for Hisoka. While heading to the boy’s bathroom, however, I ran into Seiryo. I decided now was as good a time as any to ask him about the call…

“Hey, Seiryo!” I called out.

“Maemi,” He greeted with a wave. “Did you need something from me?”

“Actually, yeah,” I said. “Tae says you called her into the courtyard.”

Seiryo’s face scrunched into a confused frown. “Huh?”

I gave a similar look at Seiryo’s reaction, but decided to continue. “She said you wanted to meet and discuss something. She also said you sounded like you had a cold. How much of this can you verify?”

“Absolutely none of it,” Seiryo said.

“Huh?” I asked.

“It’s as I told you. I never called Tae, and I have been perfectly healthy since I arrived,” Seiryo said.

“Uh… okay,” I said. “Thank you.”

Internally, I punched myself. Two conflicting testimonies… and it looked like both had some merit. If Seiryo was sick, I think it wouldn’t disappear in less than an hour.

\---

  * **TRUTH BULLET – SEIRYO’S TESTIMONY: NEVER CALLED**



**\---**

With that knowledge, I went to the men’s bathroom. I nearly pushed open the door before I felt a hand on my shoulder.

“Uah!” I cried out, only to find the hand belonged to Korin. Satoko stood a little ways behind him.

“Terribly sorry to startle you, Maemi,” He said, “But you shouldn’t go in there.”

“Why not?” I asked, before my brain caught up with my mouth. “Oh! Right! Men’s room!”

“If you want, I can go in for you and get him,” Korin said.

“Yes please-“ I began, before glancing at Satoko. “Wait, what about your sister?”

“Satoko, are you OK to stay out here with Maemi?” Korin asked. Satoko glanced at me, and then him, and then me again, and then him again. Then she nodded.

“Alright. Don’t worry, little sister, I’ll be in and out.” Korin waved, before disappearing into the men’s room.

 

 

And leaving both of us outside, awkwardly standing there, neither of us able to say anything.

“…”

“…”

“Uh… so, you don’t talk much, do you?” I said.

Satoko shook her head.

“Is there a reason?” I asked.

Satoko raised her head, exposing her throat, and tapping it twice. She then shook a finger and giving a thumbs-down.

“Oh- sorry, are you mute?” I asked.

Once again, Satoko shook her head.

“She doesn’t like how her voice sounds,” came Korin’s voice from behind me, and I just barely avoided yelling out. But Satoko nodded, affirming what Korin said.

“You aight, Maemi?” I heard the increasingly familiar voice of Hisoka ask.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Did you find anything relating to the case?” I asked.

“Nah. I checked the urinals, the toilets, and the sinks, and I found nothing.” Hisoka replied.

“Oh, I see…” I said, before the monitor above us four turned on.

“Ding-dong-ding-dong! The investigation period is up! All lunatics, please meet up in the courtyard! Anybody who is not there in the next five minutes will be punished by the Mononurses!” Monokuma said, before the monitors flicked back off. 

“We barely gathered anything, though…!” I protested, despite the fact that the monitor was now off, and Monokuma couldn’t hear me.

“We don’t really have a choice, it seems,” Korin said. “Let’s do our best with what we have.”

 

 

I soon found myself in the courtyard. The other 14 students were there, save for Mokichi… It was still so hard to believe he was gone forever.

“We’re all here, then,” Dai commented.

“Well, obviously. Monokuma threatened to punish anyone who didn’t come,” Kadiri replied.

“S-Still, is Mokichi’s killer really among us?” Hiroshi said. “It’s possible Monokuma killed him…”

“No, I don’t think he’d do that. Mokichi’s killer is in this very room,” Airou said.

“Whether they are or aren’t, we gotta solve this murder for Mokichi’s sake! He wouldn’t’ve wanted to die in vain like this!” Aeko said.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, I don’t wanna die. We gotta get through this!” Kinzo said.

“Don’t worry, we’ll solve this murder, and everything will be alright!” Tae said.

“I’m no investigator. None of us are. But I’m sure we will reach a conclusion during this trial,” Korin said.

Satoko nodded in approval of her brother’s words, but remained silent as ever.

Kokuro huffed. “Let’s just solve this.”

“Yeah… I don’t really care if I live or die, but it’d be good if the rest of you lived,” Kenji said.

“It’d be good if you lived, too,” Seiryo said.

“… I agree,” Delawyn said, simply.

“We’re all here, then, but where’s Monokuma?” Hisoka asked.

And obviously waiting for his chance to make an appearance, Monokuma descended from the ceiling.

“Here I am! Thank you all for waiting!” Monokuma announced. “I’m sure you’re all beary excited for the trial!”

If Kokuro was in any way excited at all, her groan at Monokuma’s pun dried up whatever enthusiasm she had.

“Geez, tough crowd… Anyway, please gather in the gazebo over there! Don’t worry, Kenji, it’s a ramp-up.”

“How fucking considerate…” Kenji lamented.

We ventured into the gazebo. I stayed close to Hisoka… I really don’t know why. I just felt safer around him, like he was someone I could trust in this madness. Eventually, we were all inside the gazebo.

Monokuma jumped in with us. “Here’s a little secret, just for the fifteen of you! This isn’t really a gazebo…”

The gazebo’s vines – or at least, I’d thought they were vines – suddenly came down around the open areas of the Gazebo, fully enclosing us inside. “It’s an elevator to the Trial Room. Have fun!”

Monokuma disappeared as the gazebo-turned-elevator began its descent.

 

 

We stood in silence for a few moments. There was nothing but the silent whirr of the elevator and the disappearing light of the courtyard above us to bide our time.

“… Geez, how far down does this thing go?” Aeko yelled after a few moments, finally breaking that silence.

“Be patient, Aeko. I’m sure we’ll reach it soon,” Dai said.

“I like the long descent, actually. Gives some time to think,” Airou said.

 

 

Hisoka turned to me after a moment.

“How are you feeling about the trial?” He asked.

“Is that some kind of joke?” I retorted, before covering my mouth. “S-Sorry, it’s just… not so hot. We don’t have anyone who knows about investigating murder scenes. We barely found anything during our investigation, and now we’re being asked to solve a crime…”

“I know. It’s not gonna be easy. But we’re gonna do it together. All of us. We’ll find the culprit,” Hisoka assured me. “You gave me the strength to help with investigating. I wanna give you strength as well, Maemi. The strength to face this trial with your head held high and eyes forward. We got this. Okay?”

“Okay!” I replied. And whether I wanted to or not, I found myself holding onto his hand. I needed that strength and courage right now.

 

The elevator continued its descent, before finally coming to a halt, the doors opening to reveal a strangely built courtroom on the other side. I felt my heart skip a beat, despite Hisoka’s warm hand enclosed around my own.

In the trial that awaited us…

… one of us killed Mokichi Hatsu.

And we had to condemn them to save the rest of us.

It was cruel…

… but we had no choice.

It was the class trial to live. It was the class trial to die.

It was our first class trial.


	4. Chapter 1: Clouded Hope, Clear Despair - Class Trial 1

            We all gathered around the circle of podiums in the centre of the courtroom, haphazardly at first. We weren’t entirely sure what to do; were we supposed to just stand at a podium in the circle? Wait for Monokuma’s instructions?

Eventually, though, Korin and Satoko stepped forth and took their place – and that seemed to convince the rest of us to start to do the same. I stood at one, before noticing a metal nameplate in front of me. I crouched down to read it, as it was at my hip. The nameplate read “Kadiri Nakashima”.

            “Excuse me, that’s where I stand,” Kadiri said from behind me.

“Oh, sorry,” I said, and began circling the room trying to find where I was supposed to stand. It seemed that most of us failed to stand where we were supposed to at first – and we had no way of knowing, nor any real wish to know personally, what would happen if we stood at a podium that wasn’t our own.

Eventually, I came across the nameplate that contained my name. I looked to my sides – Satoko stood to my left, and Airou to my right. Directly across was Hisoka.

One of the people standing at this circle killed Mokichi Hatsu… and they did it right in front of all of us.

And right now,  they’re the only one who knows.

But one thing I do know is, I will shed light on the truth.

**[CLASS TRIAL – S T A R T! ALL RISE!]**

“Now then,” Monokuma began. “Let’s begin with a simple explanation of the class trial! During the trial, you will discuss the murder, present your arguments, and vote for whodunnit! If you vote correctly, then only the culprit will receive punishment. But if you pick the wrong person…”

Monokuma paused for dramatic effect, I assume, before finally speaking again. “… I’ll punish everyone besides the culprit, and they will earn the right to leave the asylum!”

“Could it really be? Is… is Mokichi’s killer really among us?” Tae asked, her lower jaw trembling.

“Yep, yep! There’s no doubt that the culprit is among you,” Monokuma said.

“It’s unlikely Monokuma would interfere and kill somebody unless necessary,” Dai said. “If he wished to do that, he would’ve done so when he kidnapped us.”

“So, he died in the dining hall, right? Everybody there should be suspected, then,” Kokuro said.

“Huh? But we can keep tabs on each other there, and I never saw anything suspicious,” Hiroshi said. “N-Not until… Mokichi… died.”

“He has a point. If anything, those who left the dining hall, and those who never went to the dining hall, are the most suspicious,” Korin said.

“Hey, there’s no way I left long enough to do something like this!” Aeko said.

“I stayed in my room until the body discovery announcement. This has nothing to do with me,” Kokuro said.

“Bwah… you can’t just wave suspicion away like that,” Kenji said.

“… Let’s start with discussing the murder weapon, and make sure we’re all up to speed,” Delawyn said.

**[ NON-STOP DEBATE 1 – S T A R T! ]**

“The murder weapon…” Kokuro begun. “That was listed in the Monokuma File, right?”

“Of course.” Airou raised his finger.

“Mokichi died due to a lethal poison,” Dai said.

“It’s probably the **wounds on his back** … someone must’ve poisoned him overtime through them.” Kenji said.

[ **TRUTH BULLET – MONOKUMA FILE** ]

“That’s wrong!” I shouted.

**[ B R E A K ! ]**

“No, that’s not right,” I said. “The Monokuma file says that Mokichi died by _ingesting_ poison.”

“Oh… then what were the wounds on his back listed for?” Kenji asked.

“Likely, a red herring,” Hisoka suggested. “We can probably assume they were piloting wounds – y’know, debris hitting him while he was flying, and stuff like that.”

“… Let’s just focus on the poison for now,” Dai said.

“The killer must’ve administered the poison by having Mokichi ingest it, right?” Hiroshi said.

“That’s what the file said. Don’t know how. I don’t know anything about investigating, so I skipped all of that,” Kokuro said.

“That’s quite careless,” Korin said.

“I really don’t care if you think it’s careless or not,” Kokuro retorted. “Bottom line is, I don’t know how the killer made him take poison.”

“H-Hey, all of our lives are on the line here!” Kinzo said.

“Then I trust that you’d have done some investigating yourself, you sweaty dog,” Kokuro said.

Kadiri caught her laughter in her throat, disguising it as a cough.

“Sweaty dog? You’re really gonna fuckin’ call me that?” Kinzo said.

“Yes. I am,” Kokuro said.

“Can you please focus on the task at hand? How did Mokichi take poison?” Seiryo asked. “Injection, ingestion, application to the ears, how?”

I… think I already know how Mokichi took poison.

**[SELECT A TRUTH BULLET!]**

**_[_ ** **_TRUTH BULLET – DELAWYN’S TESTIMONY: CYANIDE LACED COFFEE]_ **

“Here!” I said.

**[ B R E A K ! ]**

“The killer made Mokichi ingest cyanide by putting it in his coffee without him noticing,” I explained. “I don’t think he’d willingly and knowingly ingest it.”

“Cyanide poisoning?” Aeko said. “T-That bad?!”

“ ‘That bad’?” Kinzo repeated.

“I was devastated when this happened, but back at my aquarium about two years ago, some rowdy 9th grader poisoned one of my fish tanks with cyanide,” Aeko said. “It’s a horrible way to go… His family was fined, but I still worry about his parents due to that fine.”

“… Getting back on topic, where would the cyanide even come from? There’s nothing here that’d hold cyanide,” Korin said.

“That’s not true,” Hisoka said. “Maemi, I think we found something that could be housing cyanide. No… it’s gotta be that thing. It’s the only way it makes sense.”

I nodded, and I had a feeling I knew what Hisoka was talking about…

**[ HANGMAN’S GAMBIT 1 – S T A R T ! ]**

**_ _ _   _ _ _ _ _ _**

** R ** ** A T   P O I S O N**

**[ B R E A K ! ]**

“The rat poison must’ve been cyanide!” I exclaimed. “We found no other poisons in our search.”

“Couldn’t Delawyn have poisons in her bedroom, being the Ultimate Assassin?” Kokuro asked. “I’m asking because there was a hula hoop suspended from the ceiling in my room, and I’m the Ultimate Acrobat.”

“There are things relating to my talent too, but none of them are poisons, since I work almost entirely with weaponry,” Delawyn replied. “I never left the dining hall, either, most of you were there and saw me. I couldn’t have done it.”

“So the rat poison being cyanide all along is the only conclusion that makes sense,” I said.

“This off-topic discussion was cute and all,” Airou began, “but I think it’s time that we stopped throwing the obvious back and forth- Mokichi was poisoned this, the poison was that, it’s boring. Let’s at least move onto the obvious that is more useful to us.”

“What does that mean?” Kadiri asked.

“I mean that Tae is the culprit,” Airou said, with a smug smile on his face.

“This again?! I swear to God, I’m not the culprit!” Tae said. “Please, just leave me alone, and don’t describe any punishment!”

Airou ignored her pleas – aside from the one about describing her punishment.

“Everybody, think about it. Tae is the most obvious suspect here. She was in the kitchen long enough, with the means to poison Mokichi, and nobody, in normal circumstances, would suspect her of poisoning the coffee,” Airou explained.

“I-I know how it looks, but I swear, it’s not how it looks!” Tae’s hands cupped the sides of her neck. “Please, you’ve got to believe me, it wasn’t me!”

“Can’t deny that Airou’s got a point,” Kinzo said, folding his arms.

“She definitely had the opportunity to poison him…” Dai cupped her chin between her thumb and forefinger.

“She had the opportunity, sure. But I doubt she’s the one who did it,” Delawyn said. “Or at the very least, the only one who could have done it.”

“Yeah! Does Tae really look like the kind of person to kill someone?” Aeko pumped her fists.

“Looks can be rather deceiving.” Korin pushed up his glasses. “Especially in this situation.”

Satoko nodded, agreeing with her brother.

“I’m convinced she did it, too,” Seiryo said.

“Bwah… did she really? Still coulda been someone else…” Kenji asked.

“She was in the kitchen, alone, with the drink that killed him. I’m convinced,” Kokuro said.

“You’re certainly not alone in that, my monochrome friend,” Kadiri said.

“We’re not friends.” Kokuro folded her arms.

“I don’t agree with this, not entirely …” Hiroshi pushed his fingers together. “I really don’t think Tae would do such a thing!”

“Maemi… what do you think?” Hisoka asked.

“I... honestly don’t think Tae is the only one who could’ve done it, either…” I admitted.

“You’re crazy if you think that,” said Airou.

“No, she isn’t crazy. I agree- there’s gotta be other suspects we ain’t considering.” Hisoka leaned forward, supporting his weight on the podium in front of him.

“And if we don’t consider at least the possibility of another culprit, we vote for Tae, and she turns out innocent, we’ll all die here,” Delawyn added.

“Upupupu… Looks like you guys are split down the middle!” Monokuma announced. “You know what that means?”

“… We’ve hit a hung jury?” Seiryo suggested.

His suggestion was answered with Monokuma slipping a key into the panel in front of him.

Hisoka’s lean on the podium soon turned to a grip, and the rest of us were soon holding onto the sides as well, with me stifling a shriek, as the podiums were all raised into the air. I couldn’t do anything but wait for the podiums to finish raising themselves. Who knows? Maybe Monokuma would just lift us up and drop us all onto the floor for hitting this hung jury.

Eventually, however, the podiums stopped… and were arranged differently to the circular shape they were in the courtroom. We were arranged in two lines on opposite sides of the room, and opposite me was Airou.

**[DEBATE SCRUM – S T A R T !]**

**[TAE IS THE KILLER]**

**[TAE MAY NOT BE THE KILLER]**

**[ D E B A T E ! ]**

“Tae’s the most **suspicious** out of all of us,” Airou said.

“Ehh… what exactly makes her so **suspicious**?” Kenji said.

“Tae was out of the **dining hall** for most of the morning,” Dai said.

“Kinzo and me left the **dining hall** as well, and Seiryo and Kokuro never showed up!” Aeko said.

“She was also the one to discover there was fuckin’ **poison** in the kitchen,” Kinzo said.

“I told everyone about the **poison** , so everybody else knew about it too!” Tae said.

“There’s also the fact she handed the **coffee** to him,” Kadiri said.

“So, if one of the rest of us handed the **coffee** over, would we be suspicious instead?” Hisoka said.

“Fact of the matter is, she had the biggest **chance** of all to kill him,” Seiryo said.

“That doesn’t mean she’s the only one who had a **chance** ,” Delawyn said.

“She was the only one who was frequently in the **kitchen** ,” Korin said.

“Others could’ve entered the **kitchen** too!” Hiroshi said.

“There’s too much evidence against her to consider her **innocent** ,” Kokuro said.

“We can’t say she’s not **innocent** until we explore all possible outcomes!” I said.

**[ B R E A K ! ]**

“I know that right now, Tae is one of the most suspicious people. But if we just write her off as the culprit now, and we’re wrong, we’ll all die,” I said, panting heavily, as our podiums returned to their rightful places in the circle on the ground.  

“Maemi’s… actually got a good point. Sorry, I wasn’t thinking straight,” Seiryo said.

“Thank you. Now, let’s discuss all possible-“ I started.

“-Let’s actually think for 2 seconds and put two and two together,” Airou cut me off. “The semantics of Tae not being the culprit are cute, but let’s think realistically for a moment.”

“For god’s sake, just shut up for a moment and let Maemi speak!” Hisoka yelled out.

“I will, but she better let me speak first,” Airou said.

“… Alright, then. Speak,” I said.

“With pleasure, Maemi.” Airou grinned smugly.

**[ NON STOP DEBATE 2 – S T A R T ! ]**

“Tae had all the opportunities to kill Mokichi,” Airou began.

“Hey, that doesn’t mean that I did it!” Tae said.

“If you were in the kitchen,” Korin began, “that means you should have **seen someone else** enter if it’s not you.”

“But **I didn’t see anyone else enter** or exit!” Tae dug her fingertips into her scalp.

“You were in the kitchen **the whole time,** ” Airou said. “If you saw nobody else enter, you must be the culprit.”

**[TRUTH BULLET – AEKO’S TESTIMONY]**

“That’s wrong!” I shouted.

**[ B R E A K ! ]**

“No, Tae wasn’t actually in the kitchen the whole time!” I said. “Isn’t that right, Aeko?”

“Huh? Oh! Yeah!” Aeko said, pumping her fists. “When I left to get my beanie, I went into my room and grabbed it as quick as I could. I grabbed it so fast I knocked over several things in my room! And as I was coming back, I saw Tae leaving the kitchen, and heading into the library.”

“I-Yeah, I did go to the library!” Tae said.

“See? If she wasn’t there the whole time, she couldn’t be the only one who could’ve entered the kitchen. I don’t think she could be the only one who did it!” I said.

_“Inexcuseable,” Dai said._

_\---_

“You’re telling me that because she left for a few seconds to likely get a cookbook for breakfast, she can’t be the culprit?” Dai continued.

“Huh? That’s not what I’m saying, I’m saying she’s not the only one who could be!” I replied.

“That’s ridiculous. The short amount of time Tae spent in the library surely can’t just immediately absolve her of guilt,” Dai said.

I know that Tae probably didn’t do it… I’ve just got to convince everyone. I can’t back down from this!

**[ CROSSED SWORDS 1 ]**

**[ S T A R T ! ]**

“You’re being ridiculous right now, Maemi,” Dai began.

“You really think there’s another suspicious individual?”

“Tae’s the obvious culprit!”

“Dai, she’s not the only one who could’ve entered the kitchen.” I said.

“Anyone else who wasn’t in the dining hall the whole time could’ve entered the kitchen without us noticing too!”

“She spent the most amount of time in the kitchen,” Dai continued.

“And was the only one we know was in there!”

“The **30 seconds she spent out of the kitchen** shouldn’t make a difference!”

**[TRUTH BLADE – TAE’S TESTIMONY]**

“I’ll cut through that contradiction!” I shouted.

**[ B R E A K ! ]**

“Tae left for way longer than 30 seconds, actually,” I said. “According to her testimony, she left for about three **minutes**.”

“And I didn’t exactly stay in the library… I went to the courtyard, actually,” Tae added.

“Three minutes?” Kenji repeated. “It’d be possible for someone who either never went to the dining hall, or left the dining hall and came back, to get in and out of the kitchen within that time…”

 “There’s no other proof that Tae went to the courtyard aside from her words, is there?” Airou asked. “Not to mention, Aeko could be working as an accomplice.”

“Why the heck would I do that? I’m not the kind of girl to kill someone either!” Aeko said.

“An accomplice is an interesting concept, though…” Kenji said.

“Monokuma, what’s the deal with accomplices? Do they get to graduate for their part in the murder if they succeed?” Korin asked.

“While you can certainly work together, only the one who actually killed the victim will be allowed to graduate!” Monokuma replied.

“So, even if two people work together, one person has nothing to gain from it,” Delawyn said. “They’d be executed alongside the rest of us.”

“But we only just learned that now. Who’s to say they didn’t work together?” Kokuro asked.

“Geez, listening to you talk about this is so annoying! There’s no accomplice in this crime!” Monokuma said, before his paws clasped over his mouth. “Oops! I said too much! May the fires of a stake burn me to a crisp for my loose lips!”

Monokuma’s wording prompted a snicker from Hisoka.

Accomplices aside, there was more proof Tae went to the courtyard…

**[SELECT A TRUTH BULLET!]**

**_[TRUTH BULLET – SMALL FOOTSTEPS IN COURTYARD]_ **

“Here!” I said.

**[ B R E A K ! ]**

“Actually, there is. I found footsteps in the courtyard, too,” I began. “and they were too small to belong to anybody else but Tae.”

“The fuck was Tae even doing in the courtyard, anyway? If she’d been in the kitchen the whole murder could’ve probably been avoided.” Kinzo scratched the back of his neck.

“I don’t think it was a coincidence or a random occurrence,” Korin said. “Now that this has all been cleared up for us, I suspect the killer must’ve had the intention of luring her out to the courtyard in the first place.”

“Can you tell us everything that happened, Tae?” Hiroshi asked.

“Yes, I will now. I’m sorry,” Tae said.

“If anyone else should say sorry, it’s Airou. He kept pushing for your guilt long after it was obvious we should consider other options,” Hisoka said. “You don’t gotta apologize, Tae.”

“… Pardon me?” Airou said.

“Um… anyway, I got called out to the courtyard from a phone call. They said they wished to discuss something with me. I went out to the courtyard, and I waited for about three minutes, but nobody came,” Tae explained. “I realised I’d been ding-dong-ditched, so I went back to the kitchen, grabbed the coffees, and went into the dining hall…”

“And then you handed out the coffees, correct?” Kadiri asked.

“Yes, that’s correct. And then, Mokichi, he… God, I had no idea it would end up like this,” Tae said.

“Yes, you did. Because you poisoned the coffee,” Airou said.

“You’re just being excessive with your accusations now, Airou,” Korin said. “We’ve already largely cleared her of suspicion.”

“We have? I thought we agreed there could be other suspects. Perhaps there are, but that doesn’t mean Tae is innocent,” Airou said.

“Why…? Why do you just keep bombarding me with these accusations?” Tae yelled. “Stop it, stop it, stop it! I didn’t poison the coffee!”

“I’m not going to stop. Watching you plead your innocence so desperately… it’s quite enjoyable,” Airou said.

“What kind of motherhecking sadistic monster _are_ you?” Aeko stamped her foot against the ground.

“Kikiki… a realistic one,” Airou said.

“C’mon, there’s got to be something that _proves_ Tae wasn’t the only one in the kitchen!” Hiroshi said. 

There is something that proves Tae’s not the only person to go into the kitchen…

**[SELECT A TRUTH BULLET!]**

**_[TRUTH BULLET – COFFEE STAIN ON COUNTER]_ **

“Here!” I shouted.

**[ B R E A K ! ]**

“The coffee stain on the countertop…” I said.

“A little coffee stain is what proves her innocence? Maemi, you’ve started losing your mind,” Airou said.

“Says the guy getting off to backing a tiny girl into a corner,” Seiryo commented.

“I’m not losing my mind at all! That little coffee stain is what proves Tae’s innocence!” I said.

“Even I’m not sure where you’re going with this. Explain.” Kadiri waved her hand.

“Yesterday, Tae had balanced several trays of coffee with whipped cream peaking high over the top of the mugs, in both of her hands and on her head,” I explained.

\--

_“I’m back!” Tae announced, and I saw… three entire trays of coffee in her hands, balanced on her head and both her hands._

_“Isn’t that dangerous? It could cause severe burns on your skin if you lose your balance,” Seiryo said._

_“Don’t worry about it! I’ve done this so many times before, on roller skates, in places way more crowded than this, and I’ve never spilled a drop of coffee, let alone on myself!” Tae gave a smile as she slid the coffee trays onto the table in front of us, before taking off the one on her head and heading towards those sitting at other tables._

\--

 “Do you really think someone with that good balance and hand-eye coordination would knock coffee out of its mug while it’s perfectly still on the countertop?” I asked.

“Maybe she was in a rush…” Kokuro suggested.

“I wasn’t in a rush!” Tae argued. “I take pride in my work as a barista and even during heavy rush periods, I never spill a drop!” Tae said.

“The coffee stain would indicate heavily the coffee was what poisoned Mokichi, so it makes no sense for her to leave coffee stains on the countertop. Am I wrong?” I asked everybody.

For once, Airou remained silent.

I glanced around the courtroom, my pulse racing, my face breaking out into a cold sweat as I eyed everyone. I didn’t have much evidence that proved Tae’s innocence left…

… finally, somebody spoke up.

“… I think, if we have no objections, we can safely say Tae isn’t the one who killed Mokichi,” Delawyn said. Thankfully, it wasn’t to object to what I said…

“The question now is, if not Tae, who is the culprit?” Korin asked.

“If half of you didn’t decide to jump on Airou’s bandwagon, we would’ve probably discussed that by now…” Kenji said.

Kenji… he had a point. Though we’d cleared Tae of her guilt, we didn’t have a clear lead to the culprit…

Were… were there any clear leads to the culprit at all…?

Were we just at a dead end, both figuratively and literally…?!

**[CLASS TRIAL – SUSPENDED]**


	5. Chapter 1: Clouded Hope, Clear Despair - Class Trial 2

**[MONOKUMA THEATRE]**

“A lot of people like to ask me, ‘Monokuma, how do you keep your stuffing so white and fresh?’”

“And the answer to that is very simple!”

“Whenever a beautiful, pure, innocent young cub departs this sinful earth too early, I like to give them some of my stuffing and take some of theirs to put in me, as a little parting ritual!”

“Oh, but as for keeping my stuffing white and fresh, I just take a nap in the washing machine.”

“Works for washing my lovely soft fur, too!”

**[MONOKUMA THEATRE]**

 

**[ CLASS TRIAL – RESUME! ]**

I stared around the courtroom, desperate for another voice to speak up and suggest something – my own voice wasn’t working. I felt my breath catch in my throat, and start coming out in short, quick, sharp bursts. I gripped onto the podium in front of me, desperately trying to keep my head straight, and vision sharp…

… But it wasn’t any use. My lungs felt both burning hot and ice cold as I took shallow breaths. My knees felt like they were going to buckle from underneath me if I let go of the podium, and my vision began blurring over as my hands began trembling.

“Maemi?” I made out a single voice through the blur, and desperately tried to focus on it – the red-blue blob that I could only just make out as Hisoka.

I still said nothing. I couldn’t say anything. I felt a hand gently place itself on my left shoulder – just barely touching it. I stifled a scream, desperately trying to focus on him.

“Maemi… if you need to breathe for a moment, it’s alright. I… think I know enough about the case to help, at least a little,” Hisoka said. “You’ve already done so much for us. So… just focus on breathing slowly and calming down, okay?”

“… O… okay,” I managed to just choke out.

“We’ll get through this. I promise,” Hisoka said.

 

**[POV CHANGE – HISOKA ONGAKUNDO]**

I watched Maemi sink to the floor, keeping her grip on the podium and taking deep breaths. I wanted to hold her close and be there for her physically, like I was with the shutters. I wanted to do that so badly, but… I was on the other side of the courtroom.

And… I think she’d prefer it if I helped her solve this case.

“For now, we should compile a list of suspects,” Delawyn said, dragging us back to the task at hand.

“Everyone in the dining hall, right?” Kokuro said. “That will not be much help to us.”

I… don’t think that she’s right.

**[ Who are the most likely suspects? ]**

Mokichi and Monokuma

Everyone in the dining hall

**Everyone who wasn’t in the dining hall**

Korin and Satoko

“I’ve got it!”

**[ BREAK! ]**

“No, everyone that was in the dining hall for the entire time’s got an alibi for the murder. We’re all innocent. It was everyone who either left the dining hall, or were never there to begin with,” I said. “We’ve proven Tae and Aeko are innocent, as Aeko’s alibi backs up Tae’s, and Aeko wasn’t gone long enough to have both grabbed her beanie AND to go to the kitchen.”

“I was in my room the whole time. I knew nothing of any murder until the Body Discovery announcement,” Kokuro said.

“I just went to take a piss,” Kinzo said. “Came back just as Tae was entering with her coffees.”

“I also remained in my room the entire time. My mother’s handwriting… it seemed different, somehow,” Seiryo said.

“Wait… you’re the one that called me out to the courtyard,” Tae said.

“I’m sorry?” Seiryo asked.

“You called me out to the courtyard!” Tae said. “I got a call, I asked who it was, then you said it was you, Seiryo, and that you wanted to meet up in the courtyard.”

“I did none of those things,” Seiryo said.

“… Hisoka?” I heard a voice say, and my eyes immediately went to its source. Maemi.

“I… think I’ve calmed down enough to keep going,” She continued.

“Okay. Don’t feel afraid to take a break if you need it again, okay?” I replied.

“It’s okay… I’m really grateful that you’re here, Hisoka,” Maemi said, before pulling herself back to her feet.

**[ POV CHANGE – MAEMI AKEMI ]**

I took one last deep breath, before returning to the mind space of the trial.

“Alright, what were we discussing?” I asked.

I heard two voices, Tae and Seiryo, speak up at once.

“He’s saying I never called him to the courtyard!”

“She’s saying I called her to the courtyard!”

“H-Hey, calm down! One at a time!” I stammered out.

“I apologise, Maemi. You speak first, Tae,” Seiryo said.

“Hu- uh, oh! Thank you. Seiryo’s saying he never called me out to the courtyard, but I definitely got a call from him!” Tae said. “… Uh, are you feeling alright, Maemi? Do you need anything?”

“Y-Yeah, I’m fine… Let’s just focus on the trial for now,” I said. “Seiryo?”

“Tae says she received a phone call from me instructing her to the courtyard. I know I am unable to prove it, but I never made a call,” Seiryo said.

I… think I knew what they were talking about now. And there had to be a correct answer to who was telling the truth…

**[ SHADOW BLADING – START! ]**

**…**

**…**

**…**

**[QUESTION ONE: Who was called out to the courtyard?]**

**Tae Kawada**

Seiryo Yuuma

**…**

**…**

**…**

**[QUESTION TWO: Where was Seiryo all morning?]**

The Courtyard

**His room**

**…**

**…**

**…**

**[QUESTION THREE: Who is telling the truth about the call?]**

Tae Kawada

Seiryo Yuuma

**Both of them**

**…**

**…**

“It’s all coming together!”

**[ BREAK! ]**

“It’s possible you’re _both_ telling the truth, right?” I said.

“Both? Telling the truth? Their testimonies contradict each other entirely,” Kadiri said.

“It might seem like they do at first, but there’s a major hole in them that we hadn’t considered. Tae, you said it sounded like Seiryo had a cold or something similar, right?” I asked.

“Y-Yeah, it did…” Tae answered.

“He looks totally fine to me,” I said.

“Colds don’t magically disappear within 5 minutes, either,” Seiryo added. “There’d still be traces if I had one. Stuffy nose, lowered voice, raw throat… any number of symptoms.”

“And you never checked the caller ID, right? In fact, I think you said you had to ask who it was just before,” I said. “I believe you said, ‘I asked who it was,’.”

“Y-Yeah- Wait, does that mean-!” Tae stammered.

“Someone impersonated Seiryo?” Korin asked. “Interesting.”

“Interesting, yet stupid. What would they have done if Tae did check the caller ID?” Airou said.

“Deny it, of course, but I do not believe it would help their cause,” Kadiri said.

… I think there’s only one person who could’ve done it.

Someone who could impersonate Seiryo well enough to fool Tae for a few moments to lure her out, and someone who had a window of opportunity to enter the kitchen after she’d gone …

They’re the only one that makes sense.

**[ SELECT SOMEONE! ]**

Hisoka Ongakundo

Kokuro Shiroko

Seiryo Yuuma

Dai Kamowa

Hiroshi Ohta

Aeko Kakatto

Airou Himura

Maemi Akemi

Satoko Uesaka

Korin Uesaka

Kadiri Nakashima

Mokichi Hatsu

Delawyn Fukui

Tae Kawada

Kenji Katayama

**[Kinzo Takashi]**

“You’re the only one!” I said.

**[ … ]**

“Kinzo… was it you?” I asked.

“… The fuck do you mean?” Kinzo asked.

“I don’t think it’s possible for Maemi to have been any clearer with what she meant…” Kenji said.

“I got no fuckin’ idea what she’s on about,” Kinzo said.

“We established that everyone who stayed in the dining hall couldn’t have done the murder, as we could all keep tabs on each other since the start of the morning. We’ve proven beyond any doubt that Tae, Aeko, and Seiryo didn’t do the murder,” I said. “And are you really going to tell me that Kokuro’s high-pitched voice can imitate Seiryo?”

“Though colds naturally pitch your voice _down,_ I sincerely doubt that would be enough for Kokuro to imitate me,” Seiryo said.

“That’s just speculating. You’ve got no damn proof against me,” Kinzo hissed, clenching his fists.

“He’s terrible at hiding it, isn’t he?” Airou chuckled.

“Shut up! You don’t have any room to talk, you’re the one who kept backing Tae into a corner earlier!” Kinzo said. “I don’t have anything to hide!”

“Kinzo, please, calm down. If you’re innocent, I’m sure you can prove it,” Delawyn said.

“Sure can! I can show you my call hist-!” Kinzo began.

“Our phones have no call history,” Kadiri cut him off.

“R-Right. Shit, my bad.” Kinzo rubbed the back of his neck. “Then I assure the rest of ya, I’ll find some way to prove I ain’t the killer!”

**[ NON-STOP DEBATE 3 – START! ]**

“There’s nothin’ saying it’s _definitely_ me, right?” Kinzo said.

“Not beyond a few speculations, no,” Korin said.

“But we’re seriously **running out of evidence** and options!” Aeko said. “If we run out, we have to take a guess!”

“I know, but I ain’t the one who did it,” Kinzo said. “ **I went to piss** and came straight back.”

“There’s nothing that says he didn’t,” Dai said.

“… Maemi, there’s something weird here,” Hisoka said. “I know there’s **something I found** that’ll pierce through the case.”

            [ END ]

**[NEW TRUTH BULLET – HISOKA’S TESTIMONY: BATHROOM STATE]**

“There’s nothin’ saying it’s _definitely_ me, right?” Kinzo said.

“Not beyond a few speculations, no,” Korin said.

“But we’re seriously **running out of evidence** and options!” Aeko said. “If we run out, we have to take a guess!”

“I know, but I ain’t the one who did it,” Kinzo said. “ **I went to piss** and came back.”

**[TRUTH BULLET – HISOKA’S TESTIMONY: BATHROOM STATE]**

“That’s wrong!” I shouted.

**[ BREAK! ]**

“You said you went to… uh, use the bathroom, right?” I asked.

“Yep. That’s what I’ve been saying from the start.” Kinzo placed his hands on his hips.

“But that’s weird. I think a urinal would be used, one of the toilets used, or the sink used, if you really did use the bathroom,” Hisoka said. “But everything in there was dry. There were no signs of use.”

“Wha- You touched them all?” Aeko shouted, looking as though Hisoka just sprouted a second head.

“What?! No- ew, not with my bare hands! I used a paper towel!” Hisoka said. “But yeah- I checked everything, and it was all dry.”

“A- A fuckin’ tiny detail! Those things’d dry easily!” Kinzo continued.

“Maybe, but that quickly?” I asked. “We only got to investigate for about 20 minutes, and Hisoka went to check the bathroom at about the 15-minute mark.”

“Seriously, I ain’t the killer!” Kinzo said.

“Then can you please do something to prove it? Because right now, all the evidence is pointing to you,” Kokuro said.

“W-Wait, all of it?” Kinzo said.

“She’s exaggerating, but you’re the most likely suspect,” Airou said. “You left the dining hall, your voice is deep enough to pretend to be Seiryo, you’re stupid enough to forget caller ID shows who’s calling you-“

“Stick to the facts, Airou.” Dai folded her arms.

“-… and you had the window of opportunity to do it, as you came back at the exact same time as Tae,” Airou finished.

“Yeah, the exact same time! Wouldn’t I have taken a little longer if I were the fuckin’ culprit?” Kinzo said.

I don’t think that’s necessarily true, and that’s because…

**[Why would Kinzo be able to reach the dining hall at the same time as Tae?]**

Kinzo can teleport

**Kinzo is a professional athlete**

Kinzo’s talent is Ultimate Sprinter

Kinzo is ripped

“I’ve got this!”

**[ BREAK! ]**

“Kinzo, you’re the Ultimate Soccer Player, right?” I asked.

“Y-Yeah, so what?” Kinzo replied.

“It wouldn’t be that much of a stretch to say you’re preparing to go pro, right?” I asked another question.

“Why all the questions?” Kinzo raised his fist.

“Because we’re trying to solve a crime and live,” Delawyn said.

“A professional athlete would have no problems running the short distance from the kitchen to the dining hall, even if going the long way around,” I explained.

“That…that’s true, but I’ve noticed something,” Hiroshi said.

“Huh? What?” Aeko asked.

“Well, it’s a bit obvious, but…” Hiroshi pushed his fingers together, huffing into his respirator. “Tae came back to the kitchen, didn’t she? So… how did Kinzo avoid getting seen by her?”

That’s… Hiroshi’s made a good point, but I’m sure there’s a solution…!

**[ NON-STOP DEBATE 4 – START! ]**

“How did Kinzo avoid getting seen by Tae?” Hiroshi asked. “If she caught him, she would’ve told us by now…”

“I didn’t see him, and I’m sorry…” Tae said.

“He didn’t come through the door between the kitchen and dining hall,” Seiryo said.

 “Maybe he _turned invisible_?” Korin said, though his grin indicated he was joking.

“He likely _hid_ ,” Dai said.

“Maybe he _climbed up onto the ceiling_?” Aeko suggested.

“I’m telling you, I _never went to the kitchen_!” Kinzo protested.

“Maemi, I’m sure you can do this. You know which **response is correct.** ” Delawyn folded her arms.

[ END ]

**[NEW TRUTH BULLET – CORRECT AVOIDING TACTIC]**

“How did Kinzo avoid getting seen by Tae?” Hiroshi asked. “If she caught him, she would’ve told us by now…”

“I didn’t see him, and I’m sorry…” Tae said.

“He didn’t come through the door between the kitchen and dining hall,” Seiryo said.

“Maybe he _turned invisible_?” Korin said, though his grin indicated he was joking.

“He likely _hid_ ,” Dai said.

**[TRUTH BULLET – CORRECT AVOIDING TACTIC]**

“I agree with you!” I shouted.

**[ BREAK! ]**

“He probably hid somewhere in the kitchen, so Tae wouldn’t see him,” I said.

“Hah! Say something that isn’t obvious next time, Maemi,” Kadiri said.

“She’s been saying a lot of things that weren’t obvious,” Delawyn said.

“A-Anyway, I think that Kinzo hid in the kitchen and left once Tae was on her way to the dining hall,” I said.

“Bullshit! Where would I even hide? There’s nowhere to hide, my frame’s way too bulky to fit in the cupboards or fridge AND leave fast enough!” Kinzo protested.

There was a space Kinzo could’ve hid…

**[ SPOT SELECTION – START! ]**

[Between the refridgerator and the counters]

“Here!” I said.

**[ BREAK! ]**

“You could’ve hidden in that small groove between the fridge and the counter. It’s big enough for you to fit, and the fridge’s height would conceal you from the door to the kitchen,” I said.

“Fucking hell… I didn’t do it! I never hid there! I never went to the kitchen! Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!” Kinzo started yelling and slamming his fists against the podium, and I gripped my own. His voice filled the room, and I felt my chest tightening again…

“… Are you alright, Maemi?” I heard one other voice just break through the commotion, and I glanced across the room at Hisoka once again, almost perfectly calm despite the screaming man beside him. I… I envied that, somewhat. “If you need to calm down again, I’ll handle this…”

I glanced at the two, before taking a slow, deep breath. I straightened my spine out, before standing back upright.

“It’s alright, Hisoka… I can handle it,” I said. It was obvious Kinzo wasn’t listening to me… so I had to find one last contradiction!

**[ PANIC TALK ACTION – START! ]**

 “I ain’t the goddamn culprit!”

“Why won’t you fuckin’ believe me?”

“Dumb fuckin’ accusations!”

“Your accusations ain’t got a goal!”

**{Tempo Up!}**

“It’s not me, goddamnit!”

“Fuck off! Fuck off!”

“Stop it already!”

“It’s all bullshit!”

**{Tempo Up!}**

“Fuck, fuck, fuck!”

“Stop it!”

“Fuck!”

“Bullshit! BULLSHIT!”

**“You can’t fucking prove I was in the kitchen! I never went there, and there’s no proof!”**

**|IN|SCRA|FLOOR|TCHES|**

**|SCRA|TCHES|IN|FLOOR|**

“This is the end!” I shouted.

**[ BREAK! ]**

“I found scratches in the floor in that section of the kitchen during the investigation,” I said. “That would indicate you, and only you, left in a hurry.”

“What?! How could you come to that end that out from a couple of fuckin’ scratches?” Kinzo asked.

“The scratches were caused by something sharp. They actually etched past the linoleum and into the tile. Those marks would probably match up with your boots perfectly,” I said.

“Soccer players wear special boots to keep their grip on the field,” Korin said. “I’ve met many players of the sport in my time as a fashion designer and designed many different kinds of boots, but every single soccer boot I’ve designed has had those sharp grips.”

“S-So… so what…?” Kinzo’s face had paled.

“I believe you’re wearing one of my designs right now. Call me a narcissist and an over-observant creep, but I do take note of when men wear my designs,” Korin said. “And yes… if you pushed back hard enough, they could likely scratch linoleum off tiles. Such as when you’re sprinting away.”

“Well, what do you have to say about that, Kinzo?” Kadiri asked, twisting one of her hair locks around her finger.

“I… But, Mioko…” Kinzo stammered.

“I think that’s his confession.” Delawyn folded her arms.

“Alright… I’ll go over the case, from beginning to end, so there are no doubts,” I said. Kinzo collapsed to the floor as I had previously… It was impossible not to feel bad for him, despite what he’d done. But… I still had a job to do. I had to finish the class trial. I couldn’t save Kinzo or Mokichi… but I could still save everybody else.

**[ CLIMAX INFERENCE: START! ]**

“The crime began at around 7:30am this morning. Nearly everyone gathered in the dining hall, as per usual, to discuss things over breakfast. Kokuro and Seiryo were exempt from the dining hall, for their own reasons.

“Tae had arrived at the dining hall early, and already had a round of coffee prepared for everyone, which everybody took. That was probably when the killer got their idea to commit murder and frame Tae for it – the whole crime reeks of being spur-of-the-moment, rather than meticulously planned.

“Aeko left around the same time that Tae went back into the kitchen to prepare a second round of coffee. At the same time, the culprit stood up, said they needed to use the bathroom, and left the kitchen. They then walked to the bathroom, but didn’t use it to… uh, do their business as they’d claimed. Instead, they called Tae’s phone, which would’ve easily been their fatal move if Tae was checking call ID. However, Tae had gotten so used to never checking the number and just answering her phone, that she didn’t even realise who called her.

“The culprit then asked her to meet them in the courtyard to discuss something, and that they’d meet her there in about a minute. However, because the culprit’s voice is huskier than Seiryo’s, it instead came across as him having a cold… which we later proved couldn’t be true.

“Tae left the kitchen and went to the courtyard as instructed by the call, leaving the kitchen clear for the culprit to enter and poison one of her coffees. They waited until Aeko went into the dining hall again, before heading towards the kitchen.

“The culprit then pulled out the rat poison from the cupboard – we later learned it was actually cyanide. The culprit emptied some of the poison into the drink – enough to be fatal, but not enough to be noticeable, before stirring it up so that it looked like a normal cup of coffee.

“The killer planned to leave the kitchen through the side door after that and re-enter the group from the hallway door to the dining hall with no suspicion of their deed, but heard Tae coming back when the library door opened. She was irritated and out of patience, after waiting 3 minutes for someone who never came. Instead, and in a panic, they elected to hide in the space between the fridge and the counters, but as they scrambled to their hiding place, they knocked both the rat poison off the counter entirely, and some of the coffee out of one of the cups and onto the counter. Tae didn’t see them or the spill of coffee on the edge of the counter, and the poison’s resting place was behind the middle counter out of her line of sight.

“ Tae took the coffees out to the others and the culprit sprinted out of the kitchen, leaving the scratchy footprint behind, managing to make it back when Tae was giving out the coffees again. The killer could make it look as though they’d just come back from the bathroom, as due to their talent, their heartrate wouldn’t elevate much from a 15-metre sprint and make them look tired.

“Tae gave the cyanide-laced coffee to Mokichi, none the wiser about its true contents. Mokichi… drank it without a second thought. The cyanide laced into his bloodstream almost instantly, and with no access to a cure, he died shortly after. The culprit had killed someone, and made Tae look like his killer.

**_“This is your crime, isn’t it, Kinzo Takashi, the Ultimate Soccer Player?”_ **

**[ BREAK! ]**

“So… Kinzo, did I miss anything?” I asked.

“I… I…” Kinzo barely stammered out his reply.

“Then let’s vote,” Kadiri said.

“Righty-o! Everyone, take out your student phones and get ready to vote! Your classmates’ names are listed on your phone. Double-tap the classmate you wish to vote for! Also, not voting is such a sad thing… It shows you really don’t care about who the culprit is and about your own life. It’s also against the rules, so be sure to vote!” Monokuma announced.

“That’s not listed in the rulebook,” Seiryo said.

“Not yet, anyway! But for the time being, until it’s a permanent addition to the rules, it’s a temporary addition to the rules!” Monokuma announced. “Now hurry up and vote!”

I took out my phone and scrolled through the names, before double-tapping ‘Kinzo Takashi’. I heard a noise above me, followed by several more. My eyes were cast upwards to a large, real-time billboard of the votes, tallying 14 for Kinzo to 1 for Seiryo.

**[ CLASS TRIAL – END. ]**

Monokuma leapt from the stand, landing on the ground in front of us all.

“You’re absolutely correct! The killer of Mokichi Hatsu, the Ultimate Pilot, is none other than Kinzo Takashi, the Ultimate Soccer Player!” Monokuma announced, before giving a hearty laugh.

Kinzo stood in stunned silence, staring blankly at shaking hands. The rest of us stood in stunned silence as well. Not one pair of eyes wasn’t on Kinzo. Though we’d just solved his case, I… I couldn’t believe he’d just kill somebody. I couldn’t believe someone would just give in to Monokuma’s demands. I couldn’t believe… I couldn’t believe someone could prove me wrong, so horribly, horribly wrong.

“… Geez, you guys are awfully quiet. Usually everybody’s begging for a motive, saying sappy goodbyes, yadda yadda. Somehow, this is even more boring,” Monokuma said.

“S-Shut up! You gave me that fuckin’ letter, you know damn well who fuckin’ sent it!” Kinzo yelled suddenly, his fists clenched into balls.

“Kinzo… who did send your letter?” I asked, taking care to keep my voice gentle, and taking a step towards him.

“… Mioko…” Kinzo replied.

“Mioko…?” I repeated.

“Mioko Sugimoto. She’s… she’s Hideyoshi Sugimoto’s sister,” Kinzo said.

“The manager of your club, no doubt,” Korin said.

Kinzo nodded slowly.

“And… Mioko. She’s also my girlfriend,” Kinzo explained. “She’s… she’s in the fuckin’ hospital. The letter said she was in a car crash when she heard about our disappearance on the radio. She couldn’t look for me, and I…”

“… chose to kill to find her,” Airou said, stepping forth. I held my hand out in front of him, preventing him from getting closer.

“I had no fuckin’ choice! I have to find her!” Kinzo yelled. “I wouldn’t do it this way if there was another! I never fuckin’ wanted to kill somebody, but I had to find Mioko!”

“We’ve barely been missing for a week. The semester of Hope’s Peak Academy started three days ago. The police are likely still in the process of-“ Airou continued, and I finally turned around.

“God! For two seconds, can you shut your mouth, Airou?” I snapped. “Kinzo’s… he’s…”

“About to die,” Dai said. “I see no reason to ignore that.”

“No… I still gotta find Mioko! I gotta find her, I gotta make sure she’s alright!” Kinzo started to breathe rapidly, fists clenched tightly. “I’m not gonna die!”

“You want to see Mioko again?” Monokuma stood between me and Kinzo, looking up at the latter.

“I… I gotta! I gotta fuckin’ make sure she’s okay!” Kinzo said. “And I’m not gonna die until I do! I gotta fuckin’ see Mioko!”

“Okie dokie! Here she is!” Monokuma took Kinzo’s phone for a moment, sliding the screen around, before handing it back to Kinzo.

…

…

Kinzo took the phone back with a hopeful light in his eyes.

But when his eyes fell upon the screen…

…

… that light disappeared.

The phone dropped from his hands, and landed face down on the floor.

“Kinzo… ?” Hiroshi asked, pushing his fingers together.

Kinzo didn’t reply.

“I… I can assume what you saw. I’m so sorry, Kinzo,” I said.

“… I gotta save her…” He spoke up once again, finally.

“Kinzo…” I said, but he once again, refused to listen.

“Ugh, I’m bored of this now,” Monokuma said. “I think it’s time we got to the fun part of this little trial – the execution!”

“There’s not gonna fuckin’ be an execution…” Kinzo said.

“Now then, I’ve prepared a very special punishment for the Ultimate Soccer Player, Kinzo Takahashi!” Monokuma announced.

“I’m gonna save Mioko… There’s no way I’ll just accept any old shit you show me and take it lying down!”

“Let’s give it everything we’ve got!”

Kinzo began sprinting for the elevator. “I’m not gonna fucking die!”

“IT’S PUNISHMENT TIME!”

“ **I’ve gotta fuckin’ save her!** ”

[ KINZO TAKASHI HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY. ]

[ TIME FOR THE PUNISHMENT! ]

Kinzo sprinted for the exit, pushing past his classmates. Something shot past in pursuit of him. Kinzo reached the elevators, climbing inside, frantically demanding that the doors shut. They didn’t even close a little bit, and the pursuing figure caught up. A manacle closed around Kinzo’s neck, and yanked him violently back through the courtroom and down a hallway. The manacle’s chain eventually detached and let Kinzo go on a soccer field, with a pressure-boarded soccer goal behind him.

**[ Ultimate Soccer Player in: 1-1 Score - Overtime! ]**

Monokuma stood at the other end of the field, kicking a ball towards the goal. Almost instinctively, Kinzo kicked it back. Monokuma kicked it once again, aiming further away into the goal. Kinzo returned the kick once again. And Monokuma kicked it once again, aiming even further away.

Kick.

Kick.

Kick.

Kick.

Kick.

Soon, the two were moving so fast, you could barely make exactly where they stood out. They battled intensely, neither one willing to let up on the other. Kinzo’s determination was a force to be reckoned with, and at this moment, he believed with all his heart that Monokuma couldn’t possibly keep this up forever. Eventually, Monokuma would screw up. That thought fuelled Kinzo’s determination, and put him on top of the world.

But nobody stays on top forever.

His elevated heart rate and the short bursts of intense movement were finally wearing him down, and amidst the blurs, Monokuma kicked it back again for what seemed like the 75th time. Only this time, Kinzo’s kick came a few inches too high. Kinzo’s kick missed the ball, and the ball struck the pressure board behind him.

The scoreboard above him lit up, announcing the scores as 1-2, before a fanfare played, announcing Monokuma as the victor. Celebratory confetti and lightning appeared on the scoreboard, shortly before 2 very real lightning strikes came through the roof of the stadium, attracted to the metal around Kinzo’s neck. The lightning strikes fried him instantly, and his body dropped down, dead in an instant from the strikes.

…

We all stood there in dumbfounded and horrified shock. I could hear the laboured, terrified breaths of Tae and Aeko behind me. I think all of us could hear Hiroshi’s borderline screaming.

For Kokuro and Seiryo… as far as we knew, it was the first time watching someone die. For the rest of us, it was the second time in only a few hours.

Mokichi Hatsu, and now Kinzo Takashi… were both dead. There was nothing we could do to change that. We can’t bring back the dead.

Eventually, one of us spoke up.

“… We should head back, now,” Delawyn suggested.

“How… why would you say that?” Tae asked, wiping her eyes. “I, we… we just saw two people die in front of us…!”

“I know. I don’t have the same perspective of how that must feel when you work in a coffee shop, vs making your living of watching and causing final moments,” Delawyn said.

“Hey, are you trying to hurt Tae’s feelings?” Aeko asked.

“I meant what I said with sincerity, and my intentions weren’t to be condescending. I stated a fact; a barista is unlikely to watch someone die. An assassin must. But we still need to head back, and verify a few things,” Delawyn explained.

“Such as?” Kadiri asked.

“If Mokichi’s corpse is still there, we need to move it elsewhere. I… don’t think we’d appreciate eating with the corpse of our classmate,” Delawyn explained.

“Ah, to answer that,” Monokuma interjected. “Don’t worry! I’ve cleaned up any and all dastardly corpses for you guys, and I’ll continue to do so as long as you make ‘em!”

“Well, that answers that,” Korin said, scratching at his goatee.

“I… also think we should sleep early today,” Delawyn said. “If you can sleep, that is. Otherwise, just lying down will help.”

“And if someone tries to attack us while we’re resting?” Airou said.

“You have a lock on your door, don’t you?” Dai said.

“And I think it’s obvious we shouldn’t share beds if we’re worried about them trying to kill us,” Delawyn explained. “One more thing… the cyanide. I think I’ll keep it in my room.”

“And what makes you think that’s even a remotely acceptable thing to do?” Airou said. “Letting you be the only one with access to a poison that killed dear Mokichi nearly instantly?”

“I’d be the only one with access to the poison. You, I, and everybody else knows that if I were the only one with access to the poison, in future cases, I’d be the only one that could use it,” Delawyn said. “And that would make me the clear and obvious culprit. Any questions?”

None of us raised our hands or spoke. Delawyn nodded slowly.  

“… Then… we should go,” Kenji said, eyes lingering back on the smouldering remains of Kinzo for a moment, before turning back to the elevator, wheeling himself in. The Uesaka siblings followed him in, followed by Kokuro… and eventually, we were all heading into the elevator.

The elevator carried us back up, the 14 of us remaining standing in almost absolute silence. Korin held Satoko close, giving her reassuring pats on the back. Tae held on to Aeko’s hand. Dai and Kadiri had a whispered conversation to each other. I could make out Kenji sniffling, eyes gazing at the floor. Airou and Kokuro stood isolated alone. Seiryo and Hiroshi stood close to each other. And I stood between Delawyn and Hisoka, in the corner of the elevator.

“How are you holding up? You had me worried back at the trial,” Hisoka said. I nodded slowly.

“Yeah, I… thank you for helping me back there,” I said.

“Hey, you looked like you needed a moment to recollect yourself. Considering we’re on opposite sides of the courtroom… I couldn’t be there to comfort you physically, so taking your lead over everybody else, for even a few moments, is the least I could do,” Hisoka said.

“Don’t either of you sell your contributions short. Both of you helped us find the culprit,” Delawyn said, before lowering her voice to a whisper. “… Do either of you have any idea how Monokuma could’ve cleaned a body up while being away physically?”

“I can’t think of any reason…” I confessed.

“Me neither,” Hisoka said. We both kept our voices to that same whisper.

“There aren’t any entrances or exits that a normal human could get to. So, how did they remove the corpse?” Delawyn asked.

“Wouldn’t the Mononurses handle something like that?” I asked.

“That’s a fair point, but the Mononurses appear to be simple-script AI robots that have one job – punish rulebreakers. Someone would have to be giving them that command.” Delawyn said.

“I’m not following,” Hisoka said.

“I think whoever our captor is, they’re hiding among us. And there are two places they could. Hidden passageways in a secret room, or right in front of us,” Delawyn whispered.

            “I see… that seems risky, telling us. What if it was one of us?” I asked.

            “I don’t think that if there is a mastermind, they’d be so stupid to point out it could be them in front of someone throwing that suggestion out there,” Delawyn replied.

“Fair point…” I replied.

The elevator doors opened in front of us, revealing the courtyard. We all began to file out, one by one.

The first thing we all did was check the dining hall to confirm Monokuma’s words…

… Monokuma told the truth. Mokichi’s body was nowhere in sight. It was like… it was like he never existed. It also meant that…

… Delawyn’s theory had some truth to it.

I shook my head, heading back to my room.

“Maemi,” I heard a voice call out, turning my head back to see Seiryo.

“What’s up, Seiryo?” I asked.

“It’s about how you acted at the trial,” Seiryo replied, as the rest of our classmates began filing into their rooms.

“How I acted? Can you be more specific?” I asked.

“Your… well, I can’t describe it lightly. Your breakdown,” Seiryo replied. “Is everything alright?”

“Y-Yeah, it’s just…” I said, grabbing onto my wrist. “I’ve been that way since the start of junior high school.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” Seiryo asked.

“It’s…” I began, taking a deep breath, before continuing. “I’ve had it since junior high, and I’d managed to control it before entering Hope’s Peak, but now… it’s this situation. I’m stressed out of my wits, like the rest of us are, but it’s resulting in a lot of breakdowns for me…”

“It’s okay. Just breathe. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” Seiryo said.

I shook my head, before answering him.

“It’s an anxiety condition.”

 

**[ CHAPTER 1 : END ]**

**SURVIVORS: 14**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand that's the last of the rapid-upload-because-i-already-finished-them chapters. Expect infrequent updates with no schedule from now on. Sorry!


	6. Chapter 2: Memories of a Party Long Gone (Daily Life)

**[MONOKUMA THEATRE]**

“To be honest, I’ve always wondered what it would be like to be a vampire bat.”

“What would all my merchandising be like? Would I still be as lovable if I was a bat?”

“Actually, bats are very cute. Did you know that they figure out what’s around them by making various clicking and screaming noises?”

“It’s a bit like college students, except they scream due to stress.”

“Bats are pretty cute, though. I’d love to be one.”

“I wonder what my mother would say, though, if I came home one day as a vampire bat?”

“Would she still love me? Who knows?”

“Maybe I’d just eat her again.”

**[MONOKUMA THEATRE]**

…

I found myself struggling to get to sleep tonight.

There were many things playing into that.

The whole situation we were in…

… and every time I tried to manually shut my eyes, as if they’d been burned into the inside of my eyelids, I saw the deaths of Mokichi and Kinzo.

Mokichi was poisoned by Kinzo, who we had to watch suffocate and die while we were helpless to watch…

… and then Kinzo was executed for doing so, and once more, we couldn’t do anything to stop it.

At this point… confessing my anxiety condition to Seiryo was the least of my problems. It barely registered as a problem.

Actually, it felt good to get it off my chest. So that at least **someone** knew why I broke down at the trial.

I groaned, raising myself to my feet. I felt so tired, and yet I couldn’t sleep. I decided that I could just wander around the building until I found the will to sleep. Maybe get a book or watch a movie in the library. Those were always my mother’s recommendations when I couldn’t sleep. Well, she’d suggest a glass of warm milk, too, but the cafeteria is closed at night, so I couldn’t do that.

I gave my hair a quick brush and put it back in its buns and twin tails, before leaving the room.

 

It took literally less than five seconds for Monokuma to show up after I’d closed my door behind me.

“What do you think you’re doing?!” Monokuma demanded, and I stifled a shriek as I stumbled backwards into my door.

“A-Are we not allowed to walk around at night time?” I asked, hands over my chest.

“Geez, I call you guys lunatics, but it turns out you might actually be one,” Monokuma commented. “Of course, you can walk around during night time!”

“T-That… D-Don’t call me that! And you couldn’t already know about that, I only told Seiryo!” I protested.

“You know the intercoms have microphones that go both ways, right? I can hear every conversation you have with each other,” Monokuma interjected. “But that’s not why I think you’re a lunatic. It’s so rude to call someone that for having a disorder! Downright terrible! Un-bear-able!”

“Then… why?” I asked.

“You’re still in your underwear!” Monokuma pointed a paw to me, and I looked down. I… was, admittedly, just in my bra and underpants. I somehow didn’t notice.

“R-Right!” I felt my face flush with blood in embarrassment.

“Oh, don’t worry. You’re not breaking any rules, I just thought you should know. Anyway, it’s not like I care. I’ve already seen you completely nude in the shower,” Monokuma chuckled.

“H-Hey!” I protested again, taking a step towards Monokuma, but he dashed off into the hallway before I could follow him… and honestly, I felt too tired to do so.

Shrugging, I ventured towards the library. I wasn’t completely nude, so it wouldn’t matter if someone saw me… I hoped, anyway. Besides, who else would be up at this hour?

 

I entered the library. For a moment, and for a reason I couldn’t explain, I expected to see Mokichi there, nose buried in a book… but no, of course he wouldn’t be. I shook my head, and started browsing through the shelves. I pushed through various fictional books, finding nothing of interest…

Before I knew it entirely, I was in the non-fiction section of the library. Various encyclopaedias slipped under my fingers, various titles that didn’t jump out at me. It continued like that for a while, until I reached the T section.

I frowned as my eyes finally caught a book – titled The Tragedy: A Report on The Most Despair-Inducing Incident in the History of Mankind. The title rang a few bells, but I couldn’t quite place my finger on where or why… Even though it felt like the answer was trying to scream at me.

 

I grabbed the book off the shelf, deciding to take it to my room and read it. I headed back out into the hallway and into my room, turning on the light and throwing myself onto my bed to read.

_The Most Despair Inducing Incident in The History of Mankind, often shortened to The Tragedy, was an event that almost ended the world. Beginning in 2009, the Tragedy’s origins were in the prestigious high school of Hope’s Peak Academy._

I frowned. Weren’t we supposed to be attending Hope’s Peak? And I never heard anything about a Tragedy or the end of the world…

I decided to continue reading.

_The Tragedy was mainly caused by an event, the mass suicide of Hope’s Peak’s reserve course program, and by a group called the Remnants of Despair, led by Ultimate Fashionista Junko Enoshima. The Remnants of Despair caused worldwide riots, eventually leading to the downfall of humanity and the end of the world, an event leaving humanity almost on the brink of extinction. The Remnants of Despair were also responsible for the Killing Game of Class 78. Class 78 were brainwashed into forgetting why they locked themselves into the academy, were unable to be rescued, and were forced to kill one another. One of Enoshima’s classmates, Makoto Naegi, was able to put an end to the killing game, and Enoshima ended her own life before Naegi and the other survivors escaped._

Wait…

Makoto Naegi?!

“Isn’t he…?”

**Isn’t he supposed to be our headmaster?**

The questions in my head soon sent it into overdrive, and I shoved the book under my bed and my body under my covers. The questions spun in my head. I knew Hope’s Peak needed to be rebuilt, but… the end of the world? And it originated _from_ Hope’s Peak? How did we never hear about it? 2009 was ten years ago. I don’t think we’d simply forget about the end of the world…

Those questions eventually overwhelmed me into sleep.

…

…

…

 

“Ahem- attention, all lunatics! It is now 7am! The cafeteria and dining hall have been unlocked,” Monokuma announced. “Please, let’s all have a wonderful day together!” The monitors shut off as Monokuma finished his morning announcement.

I pushed myself back out of bed, rubbing my forehead. As I started putting my clothes on, my mind began wandering back to the book I’d found in the library.

Something was strange. I still didn’t think I’d just forget about the end of the world, especially if the Headmaster had such a vital role to play in it. As I pulled my socks over my feet, I began wondering if I should ask everybody else…

My mind wandered back to the first time we met Monokuma. Delawyn… she’d mentioned Makoto Naegi at that time. Did she know about the Tragedy?

 

I was about to push open my door, when my doorbell rang.

I put on a smile, shoving the thoughts out of my head for the time being, and opened the door to see Hisoka standing on the other side.

“Ah, good morning, Hisoka!” I said, stepping out of my room and into the hallway.

“Morning, Maemi,” Hisoka said. “How are you holding up?”

“Better than expected,” I said. I hoped that it was a lie that my smile could convince him of.

“That’s good,” Hisoka said. I was pretty sure he bought my lie. “Um, Tae’s already in the kitchen starting on breakfast. Delawyn went in with her and took the rat poison to her room.”

“Right, so nobody else can use it,” I said. “We should probably greet Tae and ask how she is.”

“Yeah, I agree,” Hisoka said, before heading off towards the kitchen, hands locked behind his head. I followed behind.

We entered the kitchen, and I could easily smell the various breakfast foods and coffee Tae had been preparing. As usual, it smelled wonderful.

“Morning, Tae,” Hisoka greeted, and Tae snapped her head up towards us and away from the pan she was holding.

“Good morning!” Tae greeted, before flipping something inside the pan – a pancake. I decided to walk over closer.

“What flavour pancakes are you making?” I asked.

“I’m using both regular pancake batter and chocolate batter,” Tae replied. Now that I was closer, I could see what she meant. Inside the pan was a pancake in the shape of simple cartoon cat, with dark brown outlines and a light brown centre.

“Aaw, how cute!” I exclaimed.

“I know, right? When you look at a cute cat or a cute girl, you can feel your worries melt away…” Tae said, before turning back to the pancake. “Though not everyone likes girls like I do, so I thought I’d stick with cats.”

“Not everyone’s a cat person, either…” Hisoka said.

“I know, but what horrible person looks at a cat and says, ‘It’s not cute’? I don’t even think Airou is capable of something so horrible,” Tae said.

I opened my mouth to tell her not to say those sorts of things behind his back, but then again, he did try to insist that she committed murder only yesterday. So, I kept it shut.

“You think the others’ll be in the dining hall soon?” Hisoka asked.

“Probably, the morning announcement played about fifteen minutes ago…” Tae said. “Someone’s got to be there.”

“I’ll go check,” I announced, before heading through the door into the dining hall.

 

Most of the early risers were already there… Delawyn, Dai, Hiroshi, and Seiryo all sat around the central table collection, though I could see Hiroshi shivering from here.

“Morning!” I greeted, waving to the group.

“Ah, good morning, Maemi,” Dai replied, her head perking up.

“Y-Yeah, morning!” Hiroshi said, trying to force a smile.

“You don’t have to force a smile for me, Hiroshi… I’m guessing that yesterday’s still on your mind too,” I said.

“W-Well, yesterday and just the last few days altogether…” Hiroshi said.

“That’s understandable. The situation is stressful… though the only similar thing is the Stockholm situation. Let’s hope we don’t develop sympathy and appreciation towards our captor,” Seiryo said.

I immediately remembered the book I grabbed from the library last night… I decided that I needed to tell somebody about it. And right now, there was only one person I was _sure_ wasn’t the mastermind – why would the mastermind bring up their own existence?

I was confident about Hisoka’s innocence, but I couldn’t be 100% sure… though I would tell him eventually.

“Hey, Delawyn, can we talk outside for a bit?” I asked.

Without a word, Delawyn stood up. I headed towards the door closest to the dormitories, heading into the blank space in the hallway. I could hear Delawyn following close behind.

 

I occasionally glanced up as more people entered the dining hall – Aeko, Korin, and Satoko entered almost as soon as we began speaking.

“Why did you want to speak with me?” Delawyn asked, keeping her voice to a hushed whisper.

“Um, well, I found something while in the library last night… I couldn’t sleep, so I went through the books. I found a book detailing an event called The Tragedy,” I said, in the same whispered tone. “Do you remember anything about that?”

“I’m afraid I don’t,” Delawyn replied.

“That’s really weird…” I said.

“How so?” Delawyn asked.

“Well… the book said that The Tragedy was an event that originated from Hope’s Peak Academy, where we’d enrolled at. It also said that it involved the end of the world,” I replied. “I know it had to be rebuilt, but… something like this?”

“Where did you find this book again?” Delawyn asked.

“I said before, I found it in the library,” I replied.

“I meant what section,” Delawyn said.

“Oh- right. Non-fiction,” I said.

“It could’ve been moved there by Monokuma…” Delawyn theorised.

“Well, it could’ve, but it referenced the principal by name, Makoto Naegi,” I said.

“… I’ll come to your room tonight. I want to see this book,” Delawyn said, before raising her voice again. “… Anyway. For now, we should go back to the dining hall. Everyone else is already there.”

“Yeah, we should,” I agreed. Delawyn turned around and walked into the dining hall just as Kadiri passed us, and I followed her in.

 

I began mentally counting those of us who were there. Myself, Delawyn, Kadiri, Aeko, Kokuro, Hiroshi, Seiryo, Kenji, Airou, Korin, Satoko, Dai, and Hisoka. We were only missing Tae at this point… and as I could see Hiroshi digging into a stack of pancakes and Aeko guzzling a cup of coffee, I could assume she was still in the process of making breakfast.

I pulled up a chair next to Hisoka, reaching over and grabbing one of the pancakes. As I scooped a few strawberries to eat with it, Tae came back out with trays of coffee in both of her hands and eight small bowls on a tray on her head – four filled with rice and the other four full of miso soup.

“Sorry I’m taking so long! I thought we could use a better breakfast today…” Tae said, sliding the coffee trays onto the table before reaching up to the tray on her head.

“Nobody snuck in and poisoned them this time, did they?” Airou said with a chuckle.

“You’ve just got no tact, do you?” Dai said, shaking her head.

“Geez- Mokichi and Kinzo died less than two fucking days ago,” Hisoka said. “At least wait a bit before you crack jokes if you’re gonna be a heartless bastard, okay?”

“And here I thought maybe a little humour would be appreciated at breakfast, considering the atmosphere.” Airou tossed his side ponytail behind his shoulder with a flick of his head.

“I’m just gonna go get the fish and come back,” Tae said exasperatedly, before ducking back into the kitchen.

“There’s time for joking around, Airou, but right now isn’t that time,” Hiroshi said.

“Bah. Lighten up a little,” Airou said.

“He’s right, you know,” I said.

“And I repeat my previous statement,” Airou said with a smile.

“I’m back with the fish!” Tae said, several plates with grilled salmon in her arms. She placed them gently on the table in front of us and took a seat next to Dai.

“And that makes fourteen,” Kadiri said.

“Wow. The actress can count,” Kokuro scoffed.

“And the circus freak can say something incredibly rude,” Kadiri retorted.

“I’m not a freak.” Kokuro crossed her legs over.

“You dress in nothing but black and white. Even your eyes are some horrid white colour, somehow,” Kadiri said.

“We can’t all be constantly photoshopped and given the best angles like you,” Kokuro huffed.

“A-Anyway, we’re all here!” Hiroshi quickly said, clapping his hands together.

“Those of us who are left, anyway…” Kenji said.

 

There was silence among us for a few moments. Sixteen yesterday, fourteen today. We couldn’t let that fourteen become less again.

“… Should we say a few words to honour their memory?” Dai asked.

“What memory?” Airou replied. “We barely knew them. Why bother?”

“I wish I could understand how your mind works sometimes, Airou,” Korin remarked. “You’ve got a handsome face, but such a sadistic mind attached to it.”

“You got it in one, Korin,” Airou replied.

“Memory! Mokichi and Kinzo! Should we do something?” I quickly blurted out, trying to get everyone back on topic.

“I think we should. Airou, if you don’t wanna do it with us, then you better go,” Hisoka said.

“Very well, then,” Airou said. He stood up, pushed his chair in, and left through the hallway door.

“Okay… should I start? And how should we do this?” I asked.

“We should all hold hands! Or if you’re not comfortable with hands, maybe the sleeves of the shirt?” Aeko said.

“Okay, and then what?” Seiryo asked.

“Uh… I dunno. I’m basing a lot of it on shows filmed at or showing at my aquarium,” Aeko admitted.

“A prayer for the dead, I believe would be what we should do,” Dai said, holding her hands out to the sides. Kadiri took one, and Tae took the other.

“Do you know how to lead one?” Kenji asked.

“Not… particularly,” Dai replied.

“I do.” Delawyn took my left hand as she said this, and Hisoka took my right hand.

“You pray for the dead, Delawyn?” Korin asked.

“… Those I’m paid to kill had lives and families as well,” Delawyn said. “Is it really that unbelievable that I’d want to respect them?”

“You… have a point,” Korin admitted, taking Satoko’s hand. The two were at a separate table, so neither of them took another.

“It’s not necessarily a religious prayer, just a farewell message to the departed. I’ll start us off. Close your eyes,” Delawyn instructed, and we all did as she asked.

“… Mokichi Hatsu, and Kinzo Takashi. Two men who were killed in this world far too soon. May they find peace, wherever they are now,” Delawyn said.

We all nodded silently. Even our breath was silent. And for a moment, we all remained in that silence.

After that moment passed, slowly, we all opened our eyes…

“What kind of occult bullshit are you doing?”

 

Monokuma stood on the table in front of us, a piece of grilled fish in his paws.

“Hey! That’s for everybody else!” Tae yelled, pushing herself out of her seat.

Monokuma’s response was to lick the fish all the way across.

“… Was, for everybody else.” Tae sunk back into her chair.

“Don’t look so sad! Don’t you know bears love fish?” Monokuma replied, pointing the fish towards Tae, before eating the entire thing in one go.

“Great. In the coming days, he’s going to smell like rotting fish,” Kokuro groaned.

“Well, it’ll be clear as day when he’s coming,” Airou chuckled, standing at the door.

“And now you’re all here, I can make my announcement!” Monokuma announced.

“There’s no way there’s a body discovery announcement. We’re all here.” Hisoka said.

“Not a body discovery announcement! I’d announce it on the monitor if there was a dead body! Now, first, an update to the rules! Based on yesterday’s temporary rule of “You gotta vote for somebody”, that rule is now permanent! Check your phones for more info!” Monokuma announced. Kadiri’s phone was out of her pocket in an instant, scrolling through.

“… New Rule 8. All participants in the class trial must vote.” Kadiri kicked her legs up onto the table.

“Yep, yep! Gotta vote for somebody!” Monokuma said.

“… What else?” Kenji asked.

“Oh, that’s easy! The second floor is now open! Unfortunately, there’s no wheelchair access, so you’re just gonna hafta make do with this one, Kenji,” Monokuma announced.

“Joy.” Kenji sunk in his wheelchair.

“I can help you up, if you want,” Seiryo said.

“Nah. It’s fine,” Kenji said.

“Yeah, whatever. There’s something else that opened in the kitchen, too. Have fun exploring!” Monokuma left the room, leaving us with the knowledge that our living space has expanded.

 

“Why would he open up the next floor now?” Korin wondered aloud, as he stood up.

“My guess? His idea of a present for passing the trial,” Dai replied. She pushed herself to her feet as well.

“Well, let’s go look,” I said. “Uh, Kenji, are you going to be alright?”

“Yeah,” Kenji muttered.

“I’ll carry your wheelchair up, if you like,” Seiryo offered.

“… Like I said, I’ll stay downstairs. May as well explore the one new location on the floor I can get to without embarrassing myself,” Kenji said.

“Okay, so… then the rest of us can go up,” I said.

“I’ll stay down with Kenji,” Seiryo offered.

“After what happened yesterday?” Kadiri tilted her head.

“Well, if Kenji does turn up dead, and everyone else is accounted for on the second floor, then it makes it pretty obvious who the culprit is,” Seiryo said.

“Fine, point taken,” Kadiri said, waving her hands dismissively.

“Alright, then, the rest of us are going up to the second floor,” Hisoka said.

“Race you there!” Aeko said, before bolting out of the dining hall.

“Hey, come back! No fair!” Hiroshi said, before following her out.

The rest of us left the hall without making a race out of it, heading up the stairs. Kenji and Seiryo went into the kitchen, on the other hand.

 

I arrived on the second floor… and I saw the floor open down the middle of the large hallway, with railings on either side.

I also saw Aeko leaning over the railing, feet anchored to the floor and hips pressed against the railing. Her torso, arms, and head were on the other side of the railing, holding tightly to a pair of hands – and judging by their colour and everyone else’s location, I could guess those hands belonged to Hiroshi.

“Hey, I can see the bedrooms from here!” Hiroshi’s voice echoed through the two floors.

“Nggh… can someone help me help him up? I’m not strong enough!” Aeko called back.

Dai rushed forth, grabbing Aeko around the waist, and pulled both her and Hiroshi away from the railing. Though Dai remained standing, Aeko and Hiroshi were sprawled across the floor.

“So, it’s safe to assume that the opening there shows the first floor?” Korin asked.

“Yeah, I think so,” Hiroshi replied.

I then watched Kokuro approach the railing, turn her back to it, hook her right knee over it, and let her body hang over the railing, staring out into whatever was below.

“… I can see the staircase we went up,” Kokuro called back to us.

“How? By the direction you’re facing, you should be staring at the front door to the asylum,” Kadiri asked.

“I’m the Ultimate Acrobat, you cancerous twit,” Kokuro retorted. I heard a knocking on the floor near her. “Anyway, I can see the staircase and the doors to the kitchen, dining hall, and library.”

I watched Kokuro swing herself back up and over the railing, standing up straight once more.

“Whoa, you’re so flexible, Kokuro!” Tae exclaimed, her eyes lighting up.

“Yeah, I know,” Kokuro replied. “… Are we gonna look around or what?”

“Y-Yeah, we are. Let’s start that,” I said. “Groups of two?”

“Three,” Delawyn said. “There’s twelve of us, and four groups of 3 can watch over each other better than 6 groups of two.”

“But what about Seiryo and Kenji?” Hiroshi asked.

“I don’t think either of them are going to hurt the other,” Delawyn said. “And they can keep a better eye on each other on the first floor, anyway.”

“Alright, I’ll go with Hiroshi and Tae!” Aeko said, pumping her fists.

“And I think it’d be best if we stuck together, Maemi,” Delawyn said. “For the time being, anyway.”

“Okay… Hisoka, did you want to come with us?” I asked.

“Accompanying two cute girls? Can’t say no to that!” Hisoka beamed.

“… Right,” Delawyn replied.

“I’m sticking with Satoko,” Korin said, with Satoko nodding in agreement.

“Dibs on going with them,” Kokuro quickly said.

“We didn’t-“ Korin began, but was cut off.

“I suppose that leaves me with Kadiri and Airou,” Dai said.

Korin let out a sigh, before smiling again. “Very well. Let’s begin exploring, friends.”

 

I turned to Delawyn and Hisoka, finding them already halfway down the hall to our right.

“H-Hey, wait up!” I called out, jogging to reach them, catching up just as they opened the door.

Hisoka pushed the door open, and on the other side, we saw some sort of balcony. Rather than the metal railings on the floor outside, we saw wooden railings. The three of us walked ahead in unison, before overlooking the balcony. And below, a floor lower, we could see…

… A pool. We saw a pool, with clear and invigorating water. We also saw Kenji and Seiryo nearby.

“Hey, Kenji, Seiryo!” I waved to them from the top, leaning over the railing and waving them over.

“Ah, so there is a door to that balcony…” Seiryo said, waving back.

“Yep! You guys find anything?” Hisoka said, leaning over the balcony next to me.

“The door from the kitchen leads to a hallway, which leads to two changing rooms,” Seiryo explained. “One for the guys, one for the girls. Just enough to give nonbinary people an existential crisis.”

“And the pool door, as you can see…” Kenji added, pointing to the door.

“I see… and I’m guessing that’s all that’s new on the first floor,” Delawyn said.

“Looks like it.” Kenji folded his arms and slid down slightly in his wheelchair.

“Very well. Hisoka, Maemi, I’d like a word with you,” Delawyn said, pulling us over to the corner of the balcony.

 

“Shouldn’t we wait for them to leave?” Hisoka asked.

“You kept your voice down yesterday around everybody else. Keep it down again,” Delawyn said, hushing her voice. “I want you to come with me to Maemi’s room tonight.”

“H-Hey, I never agreed to this,“ I said, though I hushed myself, too.

“He’s got a right to know. I spoke with you both yesterday, and as far as I’m concerned, the three of us are in this together,” Delawyn said.

“Uh… what’re we doing?” Hisoka asked.

“Maemi knows more than I do. I know only what she told me,” Delawyn said.

“U-Uh… Um…” I stammered, wringing my hands together.

“It’s alright, Maemi. It’s alright,” Hisoka said, and I felt his hand close gently around my left wrist. The contact was what I needed to calm down, and take a breath to compose myself.

“… If it’s alright, I’ll tell you then,” I replied after a moment. “For now, I think we should catch up with everyone else…”

“Makes sense. Let’s go,” Hisoka said. He walked out, with Delawyn and I walking behind.

“… Why didn’t you tell him?” Delawyn whispered to me as we walked out.

“I… I don’t think he’s the mastermind, but with you, I at least _know_ you’re not the mastermind.” I wringed my hands together.

“… I see,” Delawyn said, but didn’t say any more.

 

We walked back out into the main hall, and went through one of the doors on the left. As we entered on the other side, we saw a backdrop, several reflectors, a camera, a chair, some props, and as I leaned in to look at the side, I saw a wardrobe filled with black, red, purple, and white clothes, though the individual pieces were hard to make out.

“What is this place…?” I wondered aloud.

“Looks like the room’s intended for Airou,” Delawyn replied.

“Yeah, looks like it. Uh, you don’t think he’s… y’know,” Hisoka said, making a vague gesture with his hands.

“The mastermind? Possibly, but I don’t think this room’s proof of that,” Delawyn said.

“Then what is this place?” I asked.

 As if on cue, Monokuma appeared in front of us again.

“That’s easy!” He said, rubbing his hands on his stomach. “I thought you kids would get bored easily, so I changed up some of the treatment chambers to be places to foster your little talents and have fun with each other!”

“… So we have entertainment facilities, but not a basic first aid room,” Delawyn said.

“Yep! For now, anyway. Since new locations are gonna open up every time you finish a class trial…” Monokuma said.

“Hey, we’re not going to do something so horrible a second time! Not after what we saw happen to Kinzo!” I said. “Nobody would do something like that again!”

“Upupupu… You’d be surprised by the amount of evidence that proves you wrong,” Monokuma said, chuckling. “Well, I’ve got 11 other bozos I need to supervise, and I’m only one bear! Ciao!”

And just like that, he disappeared.

“What would he know?” Hisoka clenched his fists. Delawyn and I exchanged glances.

“Well, I can’t see anything of much use. Let’s go investigate the next door over,” Delawyn said, turning around and heading out of the door, with Hisoka and I following her out.

 

We headed into the next room over…

… and I could’ve screamed for what I saw.

Inside was a torture chamber. An honest to god, torture chamber. It was the only place in the asylum that hadn’t had wallpaper or flooring put up – it was all concrete, with torture chairs and devices drilled into the floor. An interrogation chair, a waterboarding table, so many horrific tools…

Dai, Kadiri, and Airou stood inside as well.

“T-The fuck is this?!” I heard Hisoka stumble backwards, and grabbed onto his wrist subconsciously.

“Yes, of course. No basic medical facility, but a _torture chamber_ is no problem for Monokuma,” Delawyn said, and as I looked beside me, I could see a subtle scowl on her face.

“He wishes for us to kill each other. I doubt he’d go to the trouble of removing a torture chamber,” Airou said.

“Kill each other, not torture,” I said.

“Killing’s a lot easier than torture,”  Airou said.

“Do you ever shut up about horrific shit?” Hisoka said.

“He’s got a point this time, though,” Dai said. “Still, this room’s rather horrific.”

“Why are we even still here?” Kadiri asked. “We found labs for Airou and Korin. I would like to find my lab.”

“There weren’t 16 doors, so it’s entirely possible yours is up the stairs. Or even doesn’t exist,” Airou said.

“Whatever, doesn’t hurt to check them, right, you Vlad Tepes wannabe?” Kadiri retorted.

Airou was silent for a moment, his face void of expression, before smiling. “Of course it doesn’t hurt, Kadiri.”

“Then let us be off,” Dai said. The three of them then walked around us and out of the room.

“… Really not too keen on spending much more time in here,” Hisoka said.

“I wonder if there’s a way to lock this from the inside and prevent entry…” Delawyn said. I quickly walked over to the door, investigating it for anything of the sort…

“… There’s no lock on this door.” I turned back to Hisoka and Delawyn.

“Of course, there’s no fuckin’ lock,” Hisoka groaned.

“Then we may be able to fashion a wedge of some kind to prevent entry. All I know is, I don’t want people coming in here,” Delawyn said.

“I didn’t expect this kind of caution about death from an assassin…” Hisoka admitted.

“Killing each other here, for Monokuma’s entertainment, is pointless,” Delawyn replied. “We’d be giving him what he wants.”

“That’s understandable. Maybe we’ll find something we can use to block this off in another room!” I said.

“Right. We should go find that something, if we can,” Delawyn said. “For now, let’s keep exploring.”

“Right,” I said, before heading out of the room. Hisoka followed closely behind me, and Delawyn gave a little more space.

 

We went to the other room directly next to the torture chamber. As we walked in, we found green walls and wooden flooring, a mirror and circular platform, a rack full of fabrics, a drafting desk, a sewing machine, and near the mirror and platform, a sewing kit.

Korin, Satoko, and Kokuro also stood inside.

“I don’t need a bloody makeover! I’m fine as-is!” Kokuro said, indicating that we just walked in on an argument between Korin and her.

Satoko gently grabbed Korin’s sleeve, before gesturing towards us. Korin’s eyes soon fell to us, with Kokuro also glancing over.

“Ah, my apologies for that,” Korin said.

“Yeah, you’re not sorry at all,” Kokuro replied.

“This must be your lab, right, Korin?” Hisoka asked.

“Yes, I believe so,” Korin said, twirling a pencil between his fingers. “It’s certainly an upgrade from where I’m used to be working. The textiles are all of a nice quality, and that’s not even keeping in mind we’ve been kidnapped.”

“It does appear rather sophisticated for a fashion designer,” Hisoka says.

“If you wanted, Hisoka, I could take your measurements and create something for you,” Korin said.

“Uh… doesn’t that usually involve getting into my underwear?” Hisoka asked.

“Well, that provides the most accurate measurements,” Korin said.

“Yeah, uh, thanks, but no thanks.” Hisoka shook his hands dismissively with an embarrassed smile.

“Very well. The offer’s always open if you change your mind,” Korin smiled.

“Er… maybe I could take my own measurements and give them to you?” Hisoka offered.

“That… would also work,” Korin replied.

“Can’t you pursue your awful taste in guys in your own time?” Kokuro folded her arms.

I caught Satoko’s eyes narrowing at Kokuro, though she still said nothing.

“This is our own time, but perhaps it is time to move on,” Korin agreed.  

“Then let’s go already,” Kokuro said, turning around, and heading back out into the hallway. Korin and Satoko followed.

After the three left, Delawyn walked over to the fabric racks, looking through the ones available.

“What are you doing? You’re gonna make Korin mad!” I protested, heading over.

“I’m fairly certain Korin will understand if I’m looking for some cloth to wedge under the door to a torture chamber,” Delawyn said, before pulling out about a metre of brown fabric.

“… I’ll catch up with you later,” Delawyn said. “Go explore some of the other places.”

“Doesn’t that defeat the concept of staying together? What if someone tries to-“ I stopped myself. No… No, nobody will try it again.

“Do you really think someone’s going to try me? My talent is the Ultimate Assassin, after all,” Delawyn said.

“True… Okay, we’ll meet up with you later,” Hisoka said.

“Okay…” I said. Hisoka walked out of the room, and I followed him.

 

We decided to walk to the room across from Korin’s lab. As we approached, I could smell something nice inside… as well as the vague sense of something burning.

I pushed open the door, and I wasn’t surprised by what I saw. Inside, I saw what looked like the inside of a small café, complete with small booths, some tables, a window with a digital display of a rainy day, and even a counter with many treats inside. Hiroshi was arranging the flowers and plants at the tables.

I took a few more steps inside, and saw the source of both the pleasant and burning smells – Tae was operating a coffee machine, while Aeko was blowing smoke off a tray of burned-black cupcakes.

“I told you that you can’t set the oven to 800 degrees for a 5-minute cook time!” Tae called back as Aeko placed the cupcakes on the counter.

 “Alright, you were right, Tae!” Aeko said, giggling, waving her hand in front of her face as smoke rose to meet it.

“You’re getting along well, huh?” Hisoka said, a smile on his face.

“Yep!” Tae said, before pouring the coffee from the machine into three tall milkshake glasses. As she put it back, she pushed her fingers together. “… I might have let Aeko make the cupcakes like that to teach her why we don’t cook things on such a high temperature…”

“I didn’t burn myself, and that’s what’s important!” Aeko said proudly, switching the oven off.

“I… well, yes, it’s important, but so is producing something edible,” Tae said, laughing nervously. “Oh! Maemi, Hisoka, while you’re here, do you want any coffee?”

“Oh- no thanks, I’m fine after breakfast…” I said, smiling, and waving my hands dismissively.

“Yeah, I’m good too. Thanks for offerin’, though,” Hisoka said.

“Okay… I don’t see any rules about not being able to take food with you, so maybe the three of us could explore with these?” Tae said, placing the coffees on the counter.

“We should probably do that, actually… You think Delawyn or Airou’s more likely to have our hides if we just sat in here the whole time?” Hiroshi asked.

“Delawyn’s not bad,” I said, almost instinctively, and I took a breath as I anticipated a negative response.

“… Yeah, you’re right, Maemi,” Aeko said, taking one of the coffees.

“Wish I could say the same for Airou, but…” Tae trailed off. “Anyway, that room on end of the left side of the hallway?”

“Sure!” Aeko and Hiroshi both said in unison.

The three filed out, coffee in hand. Desperate to get out of the smoke from the cupcakes, Hisoka and I followed them out as well.

 

We entered the room next door afterwards. Along the back wall, decorated in brown wallpaper, was a rack full of tools – hammers, carving picks, brushes, and several other tools, most of which I had no idea what they were for. To the left were several disks of various sizes along the floor, and a pair of stools were strewn around. I glanced to my right and saw a small storage room, and a kiln. I also saw Kokuro, Korin, and Satoko again, with Satoko carrying a bag of white clay in her arms.

“So… this must be Satoko’s lab, right?” Hisoka asked.

“Right,” Korin replied.

“Ugh. I’m gonna go wait outside,” Kokuro said, shoving past us.

“… What got into her?” I asked.

“Nothing, Maemi, she’s been acting that way since we arrived here,” Korin said.

“Fair enough,” I said. “What are you thinking of making, Satoko?”

Satoko’s eyes lit up, before sinking towards the floor. I think I heard the slightest sound of a syllable coming out of her mouth, but she placed the bag on one of the tables and started mimicking something… She curled her hands out in front of her, before cupping them at the top of her head.

“… A cat?” I said, after a few moments.

Satoko nodded, her eyes back on me.

“Aw, how cute!” I said. “Can you show me when you’re done?”

Satoko looked at me weakly, before nodding slowly.

“Okay, thank you!” I said.

“I’ll ask Satoko to come out when we meet back up, but I think for now the rest of us should keep exploring,” Korin said.

“Bring up a good point. Haven’t seen some of the other rooms yet, though I think we’re over halfway done by now,” Hisoka said.

“Yeah, we should probably finish exploring the place,” I admitted. “Maybe the room directly across?”

“I looked in there already,” said Kokuro’s voice from behind us as she came back through the door. “It’s just a laundry room.”

“So, that leaves the room at the end of the hallway, and the two rooms on either side,” Hisoka said. “Wanna investigate the room at the end first?”

“Sure, then left to right from the way we came in?” I suggested.

“Sounds good. Wonder when Delawyn’ll be back?” Hisoka wondered.

“I was curious about that,” Korin admitted. “Did she just wander off?”

“Er, no… there’s a torture chamber between your lab and Airou’s, and she wanted to block off the door,” I said.

“Torture chamber, huh…” Korin said, before shaking his head. “She is smart to block it off.”

I leaned over to Hisoka and whispered, “Should we tell him it’s with one of his fabrics?”

“He’ll flip if we do,” Hisoka whispered back, before standing straight and smiling. “Well, me and Maemi better be off. We’ll catch you later.”

“Very well,” Korin said, and Hisoka left, grabbing my wrist, and pulling me along as well.

 

We walked to the room at the end of the hallway, Hisoka entering before me. The room seemed… oddly empty. There was a speaker on the wall and an outlined section of smooth wooden floor, but otherwise, no-

“Holy shit!” Hisoka exclaimed, and I glanced at him to see a giddy smile on his face.

“I… I’m guessing this is your lab, Hisoka?” I asked.

“Couldn’t be anybody else’s!” Hisoka said.

“To be fair, your lab was given to you in a life-or-death situation by a murderous teddy bear,” I said.

“I mean – sure, yeah, but don’t ruin this for me! Or are you jealous that we haven’t found yours yet?” Hisoka said, shooting me a shit-eating grin. I pouted in response.

“I only need a torch and a surface to put it on!” I protested, placing my hands on my hips. “Shadow puppeteering doesn’t really need a sophisticated lab.”

“I know, I know,” Hisoka waved his hands dismissively. “… Well, I don’t, but I trust your word on it, Maemi.”

“Yeah… I’m still kind of self-conscious about it, though,” I said, before shaking my head and changing the topic. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you perform live before!”

“Totally fair, I perform a lot but not everyone’s got time to come to my performances, y’know?” Hisoka said. “Not right now, but maybe some time, I could perform for you?”

“Huh? Why not now?” I asked.

“I ain’t got any routines choreographed right now and I can’t remember them off the top of my head, but I can probably do one once I got that down,” Hisoka replied. “Sorry about that.”

“Oh, no, it’s fine! I understand,” I said, before smiling a little. “Well, I don’t, but I trust your word on it, Hisoka.”

Hisoka chuckled a little, and I couldn’t help but do the same.

We remained silent for a minute, before Hisoka finally spoke up.

“You wanna investigate the last two rooms now?” He asked.

“Yeah, probably best,” I said, turning towards the door.

“Alright, lead the way,” Hisoka said, and I walked out the door, with him following behind.

 

As I said, I went towards the door that was now to our right. I’m not entirely sure what I expected on the other side, but it wasn’t what I saw. I saw dartboards in one corner, a piano in the corner to our right, several bar tables and bar stools in front of us, some pool tables to our right in front of the piano, and a stage at the back of the room, with a red curtain as a backdrop.

I also saw Dai and Kadiri, and I could guess Airou probably wasn’t far away. Surely.

“Er, where’d Airou go?” Hisoka asked.

“He’s gone backstage, to confirm a theory of mine,” Kadiri said.

“Theory?” I asked.

“Yes, I said such. Catch up, please,” Kadiri said, causing me to pout again. “I came up with the idea that the curtain covers up a backstage area, so I sent Airou back to check.”

“And she’s correct,” Airou’s voice called out, as I watched the curtains part. “There is an elaborate backstage setup there. Ropes, sandbags, various unused props, you could host an entire show with them. Several, in fact.”

“Interesting, now if only we could find a filming lab,” Kadiri said.

“We’ve investigated everywhere else, Kadiri, I don’t see your lab. Perhaps it’s on the next level?” Dai suggested.

“Bah,” Kadiri huffed, tossing her purple pigtails behind her head with a sway of her head.

“So, you guys know what’s in that last room? What is it?” I asked.

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. Best to investigate that on your own,” Airou said, before chuckling.

“… Don’t,” Dai said.

“Er… well, I can’t deny I’m curious,” I admitted.

“Then go check for yourself,” Kadiri said.

“Alright. If you’re done, head back downstairs to the dining room, and if you meet any of the others, tell them to do the same. Hisoka and I will check that last room and join you there,” I said.

“Don’t tell me what to do.” Kadiri folded her arms.

“She’s actually got a good point, Kadiri,” Dai said.

“Let’s go for now,” Airou said.

“Ugh. Fine,” Kadiri said, and the five of us filed out of the games room.

 

I watched the other three head down the hallway, and I saw them tell Delawyn something as she was shoving something – likely, the cloth – under the crack in the door. I didn’t hear what they were saying, but I saw Delawyn approach me and Hisoka instead. I didn’t move, and neither did he.

“… I apologize for taking so long, but I think the chamber is appropriately shut,” Delawyn said.

“That’s good news,” I replied. “We’ve just got one more room to investigate.”

“That one,” Hisoka said, gesturing to the room across from us.

“Then let’s check it out,” Delawyn said, taking the lead. “After that, Dai said we should meet in the dining hall.”

“Yeah, I kind of sent her group up to do that since they’d already explored all the rooms,” I said.

“Makes sense,” Delawyn said, before opening the door.

 

On the other side, I could see a large bed with red blankets and pillows and pink sheets, with pink and red rose petals on the bed. Surrounding it was… uh. A lot of ropes, some handcuffs, and-

Delawyn shut the door almost as quickly as she’d opened it. Her eyes were squinted, and her lips were upturned.

“… **Why** ,” She said, before sighing. “Let’s go back to the others.”

“… Yeah.” I said, pretending to be unaware of the fact my cheeks were flushed. As I glanced at Hisoka, he looked away from me. I could only guess he was in the same situation.

 

We eventually reached the dining hall again, me desperately trying to think of anything I could to take my mind off what I’d just seen. Luckily, the others were there too – all 11 were already seated around the dining hall.

“Ah, finally, you’ve returned,” Airou said. “Did you find that room interesting?”

I offered him nothing but a deep sigh and a shake of my head.

“Was it that room with the… uh…” Aeko pushed her fingers together, a furious flush of colour overcoming it.

“Most likely,” I replied, shivering.

“What are you talking about?” Kenji asked.

“You… don’t want to know.” Hiroshi pushed his fingers together.

“Well, let’s talk about the rest of the new locations. Kenji and I stayed on the bottom floor, and explored the new facility in the kitchen. There’s a hallway with two changerooms on the left side, that rounds two corners and leads out to a swimming pool,” Seiryo reported.

“And there’s a balcony overlooking the pool,” Tae added. “Uh- that’s on the second floor.”

“Yeah, that too,” Kenji said.

“Some of us have also received rooms based on our talents,” Airou said. “I believe myself, Korin, Tae, Satoko, and Hisoka have received those rooms.”

“You two will be glad to know the tragic deaths of our friends got us a café,” Kadiri said.

“Found a laundry room up there too,” Kokuro said. “As for the first load, not it.”

“I’ll do it,” Delawyn offered. “If you place your dirty washing at the front of your door by tomorrow morning, I’ll have it done in 24 hours or so.”

“Our ultimate labs also all have a lock on the door, though I did find a nasty-looking torture chamber with no lock on the door,” Airou said.

“I’ve made sure nobody can enter, though,” Delawyn interjected.

“And lastly… we found a recreational room. There’s a stage, a backstage, several tables, some pool, some darts, and even a grand piano,” Korin informed.

“So, hopefully, there’s enough to make sure we’re all having too much fun to commit murder!” I said.

“I wouldn’t be too sure of that, Maemi,” Airou said.

“God, will you just be quiet already?!” Aeko said.

“I’m just stating a fact,” Airou replied. “We thought nobody would commit murder previously, only for Kinzo to snap and kill someone.”

“Kinzo snapped under intense circumstances… but surely nobody else has something like a lover in a medical emergency,” Hiroshi reasoned.

“Kinzo was far from the most depraved of us here. Essential point is, once again, it’s no longer _if_ someone else will commit another murder. It’s _when,_ ” Airou said.

An uncomfortable silence hung around us after Airou’s words. I didn’t want to agree. And yet… No, I couldn’t think like that! I’d just be giving in to what Monokuma and the mastermind want.

“Shut up! Nobody here is going to commit another murder!” I shouted, hands balling into fists.

“You said that last time, Maemi,” Kadiri said. “First ‘nobody’s going to commit a murder’, now ‘nobody’s going to commit another murder’. I think you should just accept murder is inevitable.”

“B-But…” I stammered.

“Optimism is a virtue, Maemi. But blind optimism even when the universe is showing you that you’re wrong… That’s a burden on all of us,” Dai said.

“Why must you all be like this?!” I shouted, feeling my breath starting to come out faster and sharper.

“If you want to live in an ideal world where you believe that Kinzo was the only one in this group capable of committing murder, be my guest, Maemi,” Airou said. “But sooner or later, reality will come crashing back down on to you.”

I didn’t respond, and despite knowing I’d look like a drama queen, I left the dining hall before my anxiety got worse.

 

I didn’t stop walking until I returned to my room, and threw myself onto my bed.

…

I lay there for a few minutes as my heartrate returned to normal. And then I lay there for a few more moments, just to be sure.

And then, finally, I rose back to my feet, wiped the sweat off my forehead, and decided that I couldn’t just spend the whole day in my room… Or, at least, I _shouldn’t_. I walked out the door, and decided to go find my classmates.

 

I went to the dining hall first, but I found it empty… I decided to head through the kitchen to the pool area, where I found Aeko.

“A pool’s pretty nice! But I wish we had an aquarium… Without having to watch another one of our friends die, that is,” Aeko mused to herself.

“Hey, Aeko, do you want to hang out?” I asked.

“Sure thing! Do you wanna take a swim together? It won’t be like swimming in a fish tank, but it’ll still be fun!” Aeko said.

 

I spent some time swimming with Aeko…

 

It seems me and Aeko got a little closer today.

 

“Oh, Aeko, I’ve been meaning to ask you,” I began. “What’s it like at your aquarium?”

Aeko’s face lit up like I’d just given her a basket of newborn puppies.

“My aquarium’s pretty new in Sappoko, and I’m competing with a few others already there – Sunpiazza, Otaru, Noboribetsu Marine Park. But I’m doing pretty well! A lot of the parks already there are fairly old, so a lot of people like that mine’s up to date!” Aeko rattled off excitedly. “But there’s still value in their aquariums, and I don’t really care as long as I can stay open. The fish are all so cute!”

“Oh, cool! What’s your favourite fish?” I asked.

Aeko pouted at me. “You don’t ask a mother with twelve children which one her favourite is!”

“Right, right,” I said, scratching the back of my head. “Um… how do you feel about the other aquariums?”

“Well, like I said, they’re a little outdated, but as long as they take good care of the fish, it’s all fine!” Aeko said. “If I have a day off, I like to visit them as a guest! The baby otters in Sunpiazza are so cute, and they’ve even swum to me and touched my hands!”

“Aaw!” I replied, smiling widely. “You must get around a lot.”

“I try to, but I’m usually on-duty as the manager and owner of my aquarium…” Aeko replied. “So, I’m usually working there full-time. Sometimes, I’ll even sleep there.”

“Sleep?! Don’t you have a house?” I asked.

“Well, yeah,” Aeko replied, before pausing and mumbling, “… About five minutes’ walk away…”

“I heard that,” I replied.

“Don’t you live near a shadow puppet theatre?” Aeko asked, and barely stifled a laugh.

“Shadow puppet theatre?” I replied.

“Yeah, like a place where you go and make shadow puppets for all the kids!” Aeko asked.

“Uh… I don’t really do anything like that. There’s not a huge demand for shadow puppeteering,” I said.

“Oh… I see,” Aeko said. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable…”

“It’s fine. What else is there at your aquarium?” I asked.

“We let the guests feed the fish, though most aquariums have a system that does that,” Aeko replied. “We have non-fish like polar bears we keep in arctic environments, penguins – we keep them in a separate Antarctic environment, of course – and we even have a baby seal rehabilitation program for orphans!”

“Your aquarium sounds amazing, Aeko!” I said.

“It is!” Aeko replied happily. “You should come sometime, if you can!”

 

Me and Aeko talked a little more, before we parted ways, and I was left to wander the asylum once more. I wound up wandering up the staircase, and eventually, wandered into Hisoka’s lab. I wasn’t surprised to find him in there, stretching as music played.

“Two, three, four, five…” Hisoka said under his breath, stretching his arms towards the ceiling.

“Hey, Hisoka, did you want to hang out for a while?” I said.

“Uwah- oh, Maemi! Didn’t see you there. I still haven’t choreographed anything, but maybe we could stretch together to the music?” Hisoka offered.

 

I spent some time stretching to music with Hisoka…

 

It seems me and Hisoka got a little closer today.

 

“Hisoka, I don’t think I’ve gotten the chance to thank you yet,” I said, scratching the back of my head.

“Huh? For what?” Hisoka asked.

“For being there since this whole thing started,” I answered. “If I seemed like I was in a difficult spot, you never rested until I was okay again. Unless I needed my space, of course.”

“I thought that was just the right thing to do,” Hisoka replied. “Y’know, help cute girls in peril. Chivalry might be dead, but I’m not about to just kick a girl in the ass.”

“Still, I’m really grateful you’re here, Hisoka. If you weren’t, I’m pretty sure I would’ve given up by now,” I said.

“No prob!” Hisoka gave me a thumbs up.

A moment of silence passed between us, and though there was discomfort, it wasn’t as bad as I’d predicted. Eventually, Hisoka spoke up again.

“So, what do you know about modern dance?” Hisoka asked.

“Not much… I’m assuming it means you specialise in contemporary dance,” I replied.

“Kind of. The version I do incorporates gymnastics into dance routines,” Hisoka said. “I lucked out in some ways, I guess. I got born with a pretty flexible body, which helps my movements.”

And deciding to demonstrate, I watched Hisoka shoot his left leg up into the air, holding it perpendicular to his body.

“That’s amazing!” I stammered out. “But doesn’t that hurt?”

“Nah. We stretched already, and I told you, my body’s pretty flexible,” Hisoka replied, putting his leg back down. “That kind of flexibility and movement’s helpful in dance routines.”

“I imagine it would be,” I replied. “What kind of routines do you usually do?”

“Generally, I set ‘em to whatever dance tracks are popular in the clubs,” Hisoka replied. “Though I did once try some more crazy experimental shit. Choreographed a modern club routine to an orchestral backing track. Wasn’t as popular as my normal routines, but still got applauded for at least trying.”

“It’s good you still got applause. I can’t imagine too many other dancers trying something like that,” I replied. “Why didn’t you keep pursuing it?”

“Eh. It got praise with critics, but since it didn’t do as popular with my target audience, I decided to try it again later,” Hisoka said.

I giggled a little. “Let me guess, your target audience is-“

“Girls,” we both said at the same time.

“Yep, mostly ones my own age. Don’t get me wrong, I like any attention, but I’m a teenage straight guy,” Hisoka said.

“So naturally, you enjoy the attention that teenage girls give you the most,” I said.

“Yeah, pretty much,” Hisoka replied. “I know, sounds shallow. The hot guy cares about impressing girls. But I can’t exactly help it.”

“I know, I know,” I said. “I don’t think you’re shallow though, personally.”

“Thanks, Maemi,” Hisoka said. “It means a lot to me to hear you say that.”

 

Hisoka and I did a few more stretches after our conversation, before I went back to my room.

 

The day finally faded to night…

I stayed in my room and decided not to go to dinner. I wasn’t exactly hungry, anyway. Though I’d relaxed some, my mind was still on the meeting…

I laid back, staring at the ceiling. Part of me contemplated getting a drink from my sink tap. Part of me contemplated reading more of the book to myself. Part of me contemplated going and getting at least something to eat. Yet I stayed put.

In the end, what got me out of bed was the sound of my doorbell ringing. I threw myself to my feet, walked over to the door, and opened it. Delawyn and Hisoka stood outside.

“Hey!” I greeted, smiling.

“Hey, Maemi!” Hisoka said. Delawyn invited herself into my room, and Hisoka decided to follow her in. I closed the door behind the three of us.

Delawyn sat down on the floor, crossing her legs. “So, where’s this book you were telling me about?”

“Right, right. I’ll get it,” I said, before ducking under my bed. Luckily, it hadn’t been moved, and it was the only thing underneath my bed. I pulled it out and sat down beside her, planting the book on one of each of our thighs. Hisoka pulled up a chair behind us, reading over our shoulder.

We read the passages I had the previous night – about the Tragedy, the killing game of Class 78, and about Makoto Naegi and Junko Enoshima. And then, we read further.

_Though none can agree on an official date for the “end” of the Tragedy, most agree that the end of the Tragedy was during 2016, around eight years after it begun. Hope’s Peak Academy was restored in early 2017 and began scouting students just before the 2017 school year began, and precautions were made to prevent a similar event from originating from it ever again._

“And we’re the 2019 class, I think… Class 81, if my math’s right and they had Class 79 in 2017,” Hisoka said.

“… I doubt that not warning students of the tragedy would help us prevent it from happening again,” Delawyn said.

“So… what do you think happened, then?” I asked.

“… I have a few theories. One is my doubt is somehow correct – they never told us about the tragedy. That despite it happening throughout most of our childhoods, we somehow missed the entire thing,” Delawyn replied.

“That doesn’t sound likely. What’re your other ideas?” Hisoka asked.

“The most likely at this point is some form of amnesia. If this book is trustworthy, then there’s a good chance we’ve all been brainwashed into forgetting the Tragedy,” Delawyn said. “I think that’s the most likely thing.”

“Are there any other theories…?” I asked.

“If you have any, I’m willing to listen to them,” Delawyn said. “How could we all simply forget about the so-called end of the world?”

“Well, it’s a huge stretch, but maybe we were traumatised by it and our brains just kind of erased it?” I suggested.

“If you can’t think of other theories, it’s nothing to be ashamed of. But don’t spout nonsense,” Delawyn said.

“Okay, okay, I can’t think of anything else,” I admitted.

“So you think the mastermind took our memories?” Hisoka asked.

“That makes the most sense. The mastermind steals our memories of the tragedy, replaces them with happy memories of the last eight years, then locks us in here none the wiser,” Delawyn said.

“Should we look through it more?” I asked.

“Probably a good idea,” Hisoka said, pointing back to the book. But as I turned another page…

“… It’s…” I said, stammering.

“… Monokuma must’ve _wanted_ us to know we lost our memories of the Tragedy, if he left that in,” Delawyn began, before gesturing at the ink-black pages in front of us. “But destroyed the rest of the book.”

“Damnit! And I thought we were finally gettin’ an upper hand on that black-and-white shit,” Hisoka said, shaking his head.

“If our captor can take our memories away and replace them, then we can’t underestimate them under any circumstances,” Delawyn said, getting to her feet. “Our lives could depend on that.”

“Wait, you’re leaving already?” I asked.

“Do you have anything else you want to discuss?” Delawyn replied. “If you do, I’ll hear it out.

I shut my mouth – I’m not entirely sure why I asked in the first place. She looked at the book, and the three of us put together an explanation.

“… Then I’ll be going. You can stay if you want, Hisoka,” Delawyn said, as she left my room, shutting the door behind her.

I opened my mouth to speak again, when the monitor in my room turned on.

“Attention all lunatics: it is now 10pm,” Monokuma began. “It is now officially nighttime. The doors to the cafeteria and dining hall will lock shortly. Please, all of you have pleasant dreams, and we’ll see each other tomorrow morning!” The monitors shut off.

I bit my tongue as I had a sudden realisation, not wanting to blurt it out and alert Hisoka.

“Um… do you want to stay?” I asked.

“I… Well, yeah, of course I do, but I probably shouldn’t,” Hisoka replied. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

“Yeah, okay. See you tomorrow!” I said, watching as Hisoka left the room.

 

As the door shut, I threw myself onto my bed and started screaming at my incompetence and forgetfulness. Less than 24 hours ago, Monokuma told me the monitors could pick up everything we said… There was no way he didn’t know that I’d talked to Hisoka and Delawyn. That we knew about The Tragedy.

Though he hadn’t killed any of us, so I couldn’t imagine anything he’d do with that information.

I lay back and found sleep overtaking me.

 

**[MONOKUMA THEATRE]**

“The standard deck of playing cards is so strange.”

“You’ve got King, Queen, and Jack, for 4 suits, and titles like the Queen of Hearts and King of Diamonds sound epic.”

“But then you suddenly switch to numbers! Ten of spades, five of clubs. And they don’t sound very good as titles.”  
“You get to the final card in a stack, and they change again! Ace of Diamonds!”

“Then you find a Draw 4, and your opponent throws the table across the room.”

“So, how many cards can you connect? Can you connect four in a row?”

**[MONOKUMA THEATRE]**

…

…

 

 “Ahem- attention, all lunatics! It is now 7am! The cafeteria and dining hall have been unlocked,” Monokuma announced. “Please, let’s all have a wonderful day together!” The monitors shut off as Monokuma finished his morning announcement.

I woke up to find yesterday’s clothes still on me and my hair in a slight mess.

Right… I forgot to get into my pyjamas and take my hair out before sleeping last night.

I took a brief shower, brushed my hair, put it in its twintails, put my clothes on, and headed out towards the dining hall.

 

As I walked in, I found Dai, Seiryo, and Hiroshi already there, and the smell coming from the kitchen indicated Tae was awake as well.

“Good morning!” I greeted, waving.

“Good morning, Maemi,” Dai said, as I took a seat next to her.

I sat in relative silence, as our other classmates made their way in. Delawyn and Hisoka arrived at the same time, as did Korin and Satoko. Kokuro, Kadiri, Aeko, Kenji, and Airou all entered the hall at their own pace, sitting in various places around the dining hall.

Eventually, Tae came out of the kitchen, with various dishes stacked along her arms.

“I’ll be back with the coffee in just a second!” Tae said, as she placed the plates on the table and went back into the kitchen.

But as soon as the kitchen door shut behind Tae…

“Did you miss me?” A voice called out, and I let out an audible groan as Monokuma appeared on the table in front of us.

“Again? Go away already,” Kokuro said, before sighing.

“Aw, I come all this way to give you guys another present, and this is how I’m greeted? My fluffy little white heart can’t take it! It’s gonna burst right out my chest!” Monokuma said.

“Present?” Dai asked.

“Yep, yep! I have a little secret to tell you all,” Monokuma said. “But, you gotta promise not to tell anybody else but Tae! Zip, zip, ravioli! Only tell the coffee loli!”

“Tae’s not a loli! She’s short, but that doesn’t make her a loli!” Aeko stood up.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Let me have a little fun, won’t ya?” Monokuma said. “Aaaanyway, onto the present!”

“Do we have to?” Hiroshi sunk in his chair.

“Well, considering it’s your next **motive,** I’d recommend it! It’s got the Monokuma Seal of Approval!” Monokuma said.

“M-Motive…?” I stammered.

“Bingo, Maemi! And thank yourself and that little get-together you had with Delawyn and Hisoka for it!” Monokuma replied.

I watched Delawyn’s gaze latch onto Monokuma, and I saw no kindness in those green eyes.

“We don’t want any motive of yours,” Kokuro folded her arms. “Fuck off.”

“You circus freaks these days are so mean… Oh well. I’m gonna tell you anyway!” Monokuma said. “You guys have all lost several important memories!”

“Shut up!” Hisoka rose to his feet, reaching out towards Monokuma.

“Are you thinking of harming me, Hisoka?” I could see a sinister glow in Monokuma’s eye as he said this, and I felt my anxiety well in my gut.

“H-Hisoka, sit down! Please!” I called out.

“I’ve had it up to here with your shit, Monokuma!” Hisoka made to grab Monokuma…

…

… and stopped his hand less than ten centimetres away.

In an instant, both Mononurses had a bone saw against his neck, and I could see the slightest trickles of blood.  

“Hisoka!” I called out, getting out of my seat as well.

“I’ll repeat myself, Hisoka. Are you thinking of harming me?” Monokuma asked.

Hisoka’s hand hovered in the air for a moment, before finally retracting and returning to his side. As he returned his hand, the Mononurses lowered their bone saws and left through the dining room door.

“Be thankful Maemi knows how to keep you on a leash,” Monokuma said, and I gritted my teeth.

“I’m not keeping Hisoka on any leash! I just…” I began, as Hisoka sunk back into his seat and began wiping the blood off his neck.

“I’m ba- What happened?!” Tae asked, several trays stacked with coffee cups in both of her arms.

“Oh, lookie here! I don’t even have to go tell you privately or rely on these kids to tell you!” Monokuma said. “Now, as I was saying, you’ve all lost several important memories!”

“That doesn’t sound quite right,” Seiryo said. “We’ve all lost our memory? That’s highly unlikely.”

“The true voice of a kid who’s forgotten he has amnesia!” Monokuma said. “Not only have you lost memories of the last ten years, you’ve forgotten about your school life together too!”

“The… what are you-?” I stammered out.

“I’m saying, alongside the Tragedy of Hope’s Peak and the Most Despair-Inducing Incident in the History of Mankind, you’ve completely lost memories of your time together as classmates and friends!” Monokuma announced. “Such a shame to see you all just forget about it all...”

“A shame? You took those memories from us,” Delawyn said.

“Tut-tut-tut, let’s not get into all those nitpicky details,” Monokuma replied. “I’m a beary generous little rascal, and I’m willing to restore the memories of whoever passes the next class trial, whether the culprit, or the innocents! So, have fun with your new motive, everybody!”

Monokuma then disappeared, leaving us with more questions than answers.

 

“Tragedy, Despair-inducing incident… What does it all mean?” Dai mused to herself.

“Monokuma mentioned you three when he talked about the motive,” Kadiri said, pointing to me, Delawyn, and Hisoka. “So, explain. What does he mean?”

“The Tragedy… it was an event at Hope’s Peak Academy way back in 2009. Hope’s Peak shut down over it. The entire reserve course committed suicide. And after that, well… the world ended, to put it bluntly,” I said.

“E-Ended? But how are we-“ Tae began.

“The world didn’t technically end and wipe humanity out, but we fell into a state of worldwide anarchy,” Delawyn said.

“Right, that was the Most Despair Inducing Incident in the History of Mankind,” I added.

“Interesting. And our memories as classmates?” Kadiri asked.

“I… I don’t know,” I admitted. “I found a book in the library detailing the Tragedy, but when it seemed like there was more, the whole thing was just blacked out.”

“So, none of us have memories of us together as classmates… Interesting,” Kadiri said.

“I guarantee I’m happier that way,” Kokuro said.

“Can’t relate,” Korin added.

“Nobody asked you,” Kokuro muttered.

“Let him speak anyway!” Aeko said.

“U-Um!” Tae called out, before tapping a mug with her spoon. 

 

In a moment, all of our eyes were on her, as she pulled out one of the chairs and stood on it.

“We might not have memories together as classmates, but maybe we could make new ones?” Tae offered.

“What does that mean?” Kenji asked.

“What I mean is, uh… there’s that recreational room on the second floor, right? We could have a class party in there!”

“A class party?” Airou repeated.

“Yeah, I could make sweets for everyone, and – ooh! We could break out the casino props, Kadiri, Maemi, Hisoka, and Kokuro could perform, Korin could make nice costumes for everyone-“

“Slow down there, Tae. We haven’t agreed to this yet,” Dai said.

“Seems like a lot of unnecessary crap for one possibly fun memory…” Kenji lamented.

“Look… I know that we’re all sceptical right now. I don’t want to force you to do this, but… I think it would be beneficial for all of us. It would show we don’t need Monokuma’s dumb motives. We can just make new memories with each other!” Tae said. “But… I won’t force you to do so if you don’t want to. I just thought that it might be good for us…”

“I’ll do it,” Hisoka said.

“Hisoka?” Tae asked.

“I can’t make a routine for performing by tonight, but I think I could have one done by tomorrow night,” Hisoka replied.

“If you gave me your measurements, I could come up with a costume that complements you well… as well as some nice clothes for every other participant, of course,” Korin said.

“I’d be glad to go!” Hiroshi said.  

“As would I,” Seiryo said. “I might as well.”

“Ooh, we could be hostesses of the party together, Tae!” Aeko said, with a beaming smile on her face.

“I’ll come too!” I said. “I’m not sure if shadow puppeteering will be a worthwhile performance on that kind of stage, though.”

“I’ve got lights in my lab that you can borrow if you’d like to perform. But, colour me intrigued by the party,” Airou said.

“You’re not planning to hijack it by talking about sad stuff, are you?” Aeko said, giving Airou an incredulous glance.

“Oh, no. Absolutely not.” Airou looked offended that he’d even been asked. “Is it too much to believe I might want to reconcile with Tae?”

“I… well, the more, the merrier,” Tae replied.

Aeko blinked, before shrugging. “… Okay, if you’re fine with it.”

Something caught my eye in the corner of the room near Korin – I saw Satoko raising her hand slightly.

“Oh, did you want to join in too, Satoko?” I asked, to which Satoko slowly nodded her head.

“I suppose I’m interested, though I’ll admit I am not the best when it comes to parties,” Dai said.

“Have you seen the stage? There’s no way my acrobatic routines would fit in such a small space. But… Ugh. Whatever, I guess I’ll join the party. Peer pressure and all that crap,” Kokuro said.

“Well, my actress talents would be more than wonderful for the stage, but it takes more than one performer to make a show. So, I will permit one of you to give a subpar performance alongside mine,” Kadiri said.

“Alright, we’re getting it together! Delawyn, Kenji, what about you?” I asked.

“I can’t even get up the stairs… not with my wheelchair, anyway,” Kenji replied.

“If I carried it up and down, would you join us?” Seiryo offered.

“… I dunno,” Kenji replied.

“You don’t have to join us, but we’d really appreciate it if you came with!” I said.

“… Fine, then,” Kenji said.

“Alright!” I exclaimed. “Okay, Delawyn, what abou-“

Delawyn’s gaze on me cut deep.

“ **How did Monokuma know of our meeting, and what we learned?** ” She asked.

“I-I don’t know!” I stammered.

“You do. Don’t lie,” Delawyn said.

“Calm down, both of you,” Seiryo said. “Maemi, I think it’s best you explain to all of us.”

“O-Okay… um. When I woke up last night to go to the library, Monokuma came up to me… I’d told someone else something, and he knew. When I asked how he knew… well, apparently every monitor in the asylum has a microphone,” I explained. “And they can pick up all our conversations.”

“That was the night just after Kinzo’s trial, right?” Delawyn asked, and her gaze hadn’t gotten any less intense.

“Y… Yes?” I stuttered.

“… So, you knew the monitors recorded our conversations, and you _still_ held a conversation in your room, near one of the monitors,” Delawyn said.

“I- I swear, I forgot! I forgot the monitors recorded conversations!” I held my hands up defensively, backing away.

Delawyn’s gaze continued to pierce me, and I worried I would find one of the knives from the food at my throat in the next few seconds. But, Delawyn took a deep breath, and closed her eyes.

“… I’ve explored all over the asylum. There aren’t any rooms without monitors. It’s not like we could’ve done anything even if you did remember,” Delawyn said. “… I apologise for holding things up. I’ll join in on the party as well and make sure nothing goes wrong during it.”

“Then we’re all in it together!” Tae said. “I’ll start work in the afternoon!”

“Why do you get to slack off for half a day?” Kokuro asked.

“It’s not slacking off, it just ensures that the cupcakes and food I’m going to make is fresher!” Tae replied.

“Well, I can’t exactly slack off, if I’m going to be designing and making 14 costumes,” Korin said, getting out of his chair. “If you need me, I’ll be in my lab, but I doubt I’ll be able to help.”

“I should probably go choreograph, too…” Hisoka said.

“Hm… Dai, how you join me for my performance?” Kadiri said.

“… I suppose I can do that,” Dai replied.

One by one, we all left the table. Some of us went upstairs to prepare for the party, while others of us stayed downstairs.

 

I didn’t really know what kind of shadow puppet show I could put on for the others, and I had no access to background tools… so I decided to just wander around the asylum for the time being. I found myself walking upstairs, and into Tae’s lab, where I found her making a cup of coffee.

“I hope that everyone’ll be able to get along at the party…” Tae mused to herself.

“Hey, Tae, want to hang out for a while?” I asked.

“Oh, good morning, Maemi! I’d be glad to. Do you want a coffee as well?” Tae replied.

 

I spent some time making and drinking coffee with Tae…

 

I think Tae and I got a little closer today.

 

“Maemi, do you have a preferred flavour of coffee?” Tae asked.

“Er- not really, I just kind of drink it when needed…” I replied. “I definitely think yours tastes wonderful, though.”

“Okay… uh, what about tea? Any preferred flavour?” Tae asked.

“Um… I guess green tea is really nice, but I prefer it sweetened,” I replied.

“Okay, what about breakfast foods? Anything you really like?” Tae asked.

“Um… well, I don’t have any allergies, so I’m good with most things…” I said. “Why are you asking so many questions, Tae?”

“I want to be able to give you something you’ll want for breakfast every morning,” Tae replied. “I don’t blame you for answering vaguely, but it does make things hard.”

“Sorry… I just really don’t have that many preferences for breakfast. I’ll eat what’s put in front of me if it’s edible,” I said.

“Okay… most people tend to like vanilla. It’s a basic flavour, but it can make you feel nice and warm inside… And the fact vanilla is a pretty flower is nice, too,” Tae said. “Then there’s strawberry, which is nice for a punch of energy… well, if it’s from real strawberries. If it’s artificial, then it doesn’t help much at all, but tastes really sweet.”

“I see…” I said, though I wasn’t really all that sure of what Tae was talking about.

“Yeah, and salted caramel is a pretty popular flavour too. It’s nice and creamy, but sweet like toffee, y’know? A less popular flavour is matcha, as generally it’s seen as a spicy drink, but I personally think it’s nice,” Tae said.

“Uh, yeah…” I replied.

“Ah… I’m sorry, my rambling’s probably not making much sense, is it?” Tae asked.

“No, not really,” I said. “Sorry… I don’t know that much about coffee or café jobs or anything like that.”

“Oh, it’s okay. That’s understandable,” Tae replied. “Hm… is there anything you want to try?”

“Er… I’m not sure,” I admitted. “Do you have any recommendations?”

“Well… you look like you’d enjoy strawberry flavours of both artificial and natural varieties, so how about I fix one of each?” Tae suggested.

“Uh… sure?” I said.

“Okay! I have some more recipes I need to look into, so next time we hang out, I could whip those up for you?” Tae said.

“Sure thing!” I replied.

“Then it’s settled!” Tae gave a smile that was like looking into a kennel of puppies…

 

I talked a little more about breakfast foods with Tae, before heading back to my room…

 

There was still some time left in the day, however, so after a few moments lying down on my bed, I began exploring the asylum once more. I eventually encountered Kadiri in the recreational room, on the stage.

“You admire it… I admire its purity. A survivor... unclouded by conscience, remorse, or delusions of morality,” Kadiri recited.

“Uh… hey, Kadiri, do you want to hang out?” I asked.

“Oh, how excellent, a supporting role! Come, assist me with this scene so I don’t have to act it all myself.”

 

I spent some time learning and helping Kadiri with her performance…

 

It seems me and Kadiri got a little closer today.

 

“Maemi, have you ever acted before?” Kadiri asked.

“Er… I played a tree in a junior high play once, does that count?” I replied, with a nervous chuckle.

“Well… I suppose even dirty, bloodied, disease-infested water is still water,” Kadiri replied. “It cannot compare to pure, filtered water, though.”

“Right… well, my talent isn’t acting,” I replied.

“Of course not. It’s cute, but it’s far from an entertaining great. Of course, I have an impressive lineup under my name,” Kadiri said.

“I know! Painter’s Dream, Midsummer Melancholy, The Oasis of Ice…” I said.

“… Blue Lips in Tokyo, The Last Empress – did you hear, they changed the lead from a male to a woman just so I could play that role?” Kadiri asked.

“Wait, seriously? I knew that film companies in the west had a habit of changing the gender of a role, but here, too?” I said.

“Yes, though not to make a statement. Simply so that their best talent was front and centre,” Kadiri said. “The Coffee Shop on Kyogate Street, Firework, and that’s barely scratching the surface of what I’ve done.”

“I heard you already had a massive film lineup…” I said.

“Yes. Almost eighty movies in three years, and many of them hits. I’m quite amazing, aren’t I?” Kadiri asked, reaching into her pocket.

“Yeah, that’s phenomenal!” I said.

“Ah, right, the 2019 remake of Phenomena… That was my next project before this whole situation happened,” Kadiri said, before pulling out a cigarette and a lighter.

“Um… are you allowed to smoke?” I asked.

“Doesn’t say in the rulebook I can’t,” Kadiri said, sticking the cigarette in her mouth and lighting the end. She took a puff, before turning back to me. “Don’t know what I’ll do after I run out of them, though. Do you think Monokuma will give me more if I ask?”

“I… don’t think I’m the best person to ask for that,” I admitted, holding my hand over my nose. “Why do you smoke, anyway?”

“Mind your business, honestly,” Kadiri retorted. “… Do you have a favourite film of mine?”

“Painter’s Dream, definitely,” I replied. “Though I also liked Shadow over the Sun, though why is probably a little obvious.”

“Of course, my acting was phenomenal in those two films,” Kadiri said.

“Well, yeah, that too, but I also liked how Shadow over the Sun utilized shadowy backdrops rather than an actual set,” I admitted.

“I see…” Kadiri took another puff of her cigarette. “I suppose I should’ve seen that answer coming.”

 

I helped Kadiri rehearse a little more, before I returned to my room once again…

 

As I entered my room, the monitors turned on.

“Attention all lunatics: it is now 10pm,” Monokuma began. “It is now officially nighttime. The doors to the cafeteria and dining hall will lock shortly. Please, all of you have pleasant dreams, and we’ll see each other tomorrow morning!” The monitors shut off.

I leaned back on my bed once I put my pyjamas on and took my hair out. I stared up at the ceiling, my mind on the party tomorrow. It’d be fun for all of us, right? We’d just have fun, and we’d be a class together, even if Kinzo and Mokichi weren’t with us anymore…

Those thoughts stayed with me until I drifted off to sleep.

**[MONOKUMA THEATRE]**

“Have you ever stuck your hand in a pot of warm honey?”

“It’s nice, sticky, and gooey.”

“It also makes a nice squelching noise. Squish, squish, squish.”

“Warm honey also goes nicely in drinks as a substitute for sugar.”

“Not for me, though. I prefer to lick it from the pot to the last drop.”

“Sometimes I’ll imagine I’m a bear eating someone’s insides, instead of a bear eating nice, warm, sticky, honey.”

“Oh, but I wouldn’t recommend sticking your hand in a pot of boiling honey.”

“You’ll just lose your hand that way. My dear friend lost his hand, once…”

**[MONOKUMA THEATRE]**

…

…

 “Ahem- attention, all lunatics! It is now 7am! The cafeteria and dining hall have been unlocked,” Monokuma announced. “Please, let’s all have a wonderful day together!” The monitors shut off as Monokuma finished his morning announcement.

 

Once again, I found myself bleary-eyed as I woke up to that annoying excuse for an alarm clock, stretching my arms as I pushed myself out of bed. I took a shower, brushed my teeth, got dressed, put my hair up, and headed to the door.

As I was about to open it, I heard my doorbell ring. I opened the door to see Delawyn on the other side.

“Ah, good morning, Delawyn!” I said, with a smile. “I didn’t think you’d wish me good morning, honestly…”

“Morning, Maemi,” Delawyn replied. “Hisoka said I should apologise to you.”

“Uh… is this for yesterday?” I asked.

“It is for yesterday, yes,” Delawyn replied. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have been so harsh on you for that mistake. That said, we both need to be more careful in the future.”

“Right. I’ll keep that in mind,” I said.

“Anyway, we should go to breakfast,” Delawyn said.

“Yep, lead the way!” I said. Delawyn turned around and headed towards the dining hall, with me following behind her.

 

When we arrived at the dining hall, nearly everyone else was already there.

“I… didn’t take that long getting ready this morning, right?” I asked.

“About the same amount of time as anyone else,” Kenji replied. “… Tae and Aeko decided to make breakfast together, by the way, so just be weary of which food you take.”

“I’m sure Aeko’s cooking will be fine…” I said, taking a seat next to Hisoka.

“Famous last words,” I heard Kokuro mumble.

 

After a moment, Tae came out with several plates balanced along her arms and head, while Aeko struggled with just the one large platter and with the door.

“Are you alright there, Aeko?” Hiroshi asked, pushing himself out of his seat.

“Yeah, yeah, don’t worry! I got it under control!” Aeko said, as Tae slid the plates on her arms and head along the table.

“I’ll be back with coffee momenta- uh, are you absolutely sure you don’t need help, Aeko?” Tae asked. “I don’t want a cute girl like you getting hurt…”

“It’s fine, it’s fine! I’m all good,” Aeko said, placing the platter down in front of us. I couldn’t deny that Tae’s food looked more… edible.

Hisoka had more confidence in Aeko than I did. He took one of the brownies she’d placed on the table and took a bite eagerly.

I couldn’t say that his transition from full confidence and friendliness to looking genuinely sick wasn’t funny. But I also grew concerned, too…

“One… one second,” Hisoka said, bowing his head apologetically, before running out of the room.

“I’ll go after him. Make sure he’s alright,” Seiryo said, pushing himself out of his seat and following Hisoka out the door.

“… It’s not that bad, is it?” Aeko asked. “I just wanted to help Tae with breakfast…”

“I’m sure it’s fine!” Tae assured Aeko, taking a bite of one of the brownies she made… and her expression betrayed her, as Tae looked like she just stuck a live frog into her mouth.

“So… it is that bad…” Aeko lowered her head dejectedly.

“Uh… too much salt and cinnamon, not enough cocoa and sugar,” Tae replied, placing the brownie back down. “It’s cooked enough that it’s nice and sticky, but not undercooked, though.”

“Alright… I’ve always been better with fish, but I’m learning a lot from you!” Aeko said, and her face was uplifted into a broad smile.

“That’s good. Um… as for the party tonight, I’ll probably be in my lab all day making food. Do you think you could work on the decorations, too?” Tae asked.

“Sure thing! Hey, Hiroshi, do you wanna help out with the decorations?” Aeko asked. “We could make them together!”

“Huh? Oh, yeah!” Hiroshi said, clapping his hands together.

“Woo!” Aeko exclaimed, clapping her hands together.

“I drafted everybody’s outfits yesterday,” Korin said. “I have the materials I need, and will give them to you throughout the day.”

“… Fine. I did practice a routine. But that stage is just so… small,” Kokuro said, as Hisoka and Seiryo reentered the room.

“Are you alright, Hisoka?” I asked.

“Yeah, all good,” Hisoka replied, giving me a thumbs-up.

“A little issue with the food. Likely, the taste and the excess of cinnamon had to do with it,” Seiryo said.

“… Meaning what, exactly?” Kenji asked.

“Er… I threw up a bit. No sickness or shit like that, just didn’t agree with me,” Hisoka replied.

“Ew.” Kadiri stuck a cigarette in her mouth.

“You probably shouldn’t be smoking at all, let alone in front of us,” Seiryo said.

“If you think I’m going to quit smoking, I recommend that you take those thoughts and place them someplace moist and magical,” Kadiri said, standing up from her seat. “But I suppose I can take up your suggestion to go elsewhere. Dai, meet me in my room for more rehearsal on our performance. You sorely need it.”

“I thought I was doing pretty well, myself…” Dai trailed off. “Alright, then.”

Kadiri left the room, and I heard the clicking noise of her lighter as she left.

“I’ll be in my lab if anybody needs me,” Airou said, standing up and following suit.

“So I guess that’s it for breakfast…” Tae said. “Oh well! The class party is today, so I guess that everyone’s just eager to work hard for it!”

“Yeah, exactly. I’ll get back to work on my routine! If I’m done before the party, I’ll help set it up!” Hisoka said.

“I guess those who have nothing to do have the day to themselves?” Seiryo asked.

“Well, I can’t force you to take a job, nor can I make you do one… So yes, feel free to just relax before the party!” Tae said.

 

The conversation continued for a little longer, before we all finally parted ways.

 

Even though I’d made up my mind to help Hisoka with setting up later, I still had a little time before the party…

I decided to wander around the asylum for a little bit, before running into Delawyn. I was pretty sure she had nothing to do…

She was silent as I approached…

“Er… Delawyn, do you wanna hang out?” I asked.

“… Sure. Be quiet, though. I’m thinking about _them,_ but I doubt they can hear my thoughts,” Delawyn replied.

 

I spent some time sitting in silence with Delawyn as she thought about the mastermind… I think.

 

It seems me and Delawyn got a little closer today.

 

For a few moments, we sat in utter silence. Even though Delawyn’s the Ultimate Assassin… I don’t exactly feel that afraid around her. I’ll even admit, I’m a little curious about her talent…

“… What’s being a shadow puppeteer like?” She asked, finally breaking the silence.

“Oh, uh… Well, it’s… not that interesting, actually,” I replied. “Making some of the backdrops is fun, but most people don’t pay attention to it as a performance medium…”

“I see,” Delawyn replied. “Could you show me?”

“Uh… sure? Did you bring a light of some kind with you?” I asked.

Delawyn looked away, shaking her head. “Never mind, then. If you asked, you likely don’t have one on you yourself.”

“Ehe… yeah, that’s true,” I replied. “… Um… what’s being an assassin like?”

“What’s being an assassin like?” Delawyn repeated, and I slowly nodded. She lowered her head, before speaking.

“Assassination involves taking lives, that much is obvious. Lives that have deserved it, and lives that haven’t. I’m not proud of my line of work, but…” Delawyn said.

“But…?” I said.

“… My parents wanted a secure future for me. That’s all I’ll say,” Delawyn said.

“Even if your parents wanted a secure future for you, why-“ I started, only to be cut off by a harsh glare.

“I said, that’s all I’ll say,” Delawyn’s eyes cut into me, and I decided to quickly change the subject.

“Um… what weapons are you usually using?” I asked.

“… Knives, daggers, and sniper rifles, usually. Depends on whether I can get close to the target without being seen or not,” Delawyn said. “… You should see how many international politicians get the idea to throw lavish parties on the rooftops of buildings.”

“You’ve-“ I began, only to be cut off again.

“Killed international politicians? Yes. I think the highest profile target I ever succeeded in taking down was the president of the United States, but from what I saw, most people weren’t that fond of him anyway.” Delawyn replied.

“The president of the USA?” I exclaimed. “I- well, killing him is… it’s amazing, but it’s… um…”

“Terrible. It’s amazing, but terrible,” Delawyn said. “The things I do can be considered amazing, but in the end, it’s professional murder.”

“I…” I trailed off, not knowing what to say.

“… I understand why you’re silent about this. Our talents are pretty far removed from each other,” Delawyn replied.

“Yeah… your talent is amazing, and mine’s not,” I replied.

“Shadow puppeteering isn’t a popular medium, but it brings a smile to the faces of those who see it. Assassination brings a smirk to the fact of the client and nothing else,” Delawyn said.

 

We decided to change the topics to more middle-grounded ones, before we finally parted ways.

 

I decided it was time to go help Hisoka set up the recreational room for the party. I headed up the stairs, across the hall, and into the room – to find Hisoka had just entered as well.

“Hey, Hisoka!” I said, waving.

“Maemi? What are you doing here?” Hisoka asked.

“I don’t have anything else to do, so I thought I’d come help you set up the party!” I replied.

“Oh! Sure thing!” Hisoka said. “Tae handed me these tablecloths before I left.”

“Right, so… where should we put the candles while we put the cloths down?” I asked.

“Put them all on one table, then when we’re nearly done, put them all back, put the one on the remaining table on another, put the cloth on, then put the candle back. Easy,” Hisoka said, and he made it sound easy.

We spent the next ten minutes gathering the candles together and draping the tablecloths over the tables.

 

Aeko came in at about the five-minute mark and began placing decorations around the stage. We didn’t say anything to each other, I just waved, and she waved back.

 

“See? Told you it’d be easy,” Hisoka said, after we were finished.

“Yeah, but we don’t have anything to do now…” I said.

“We could always fuck with the piano,” Hisoka said. “Or play a round of darts or pool.”

“I don’t know how to play piano, so… maybe play pool together? That sounds like the less risky of the two games,” I said.

“Hey, I don’t know how to play either. I know you push the keys and notes come out. I dance to music, not make it,” Hisoka said. “But if what you wanna do is play pool, then I’m happy to.”

 

We spent the next couple of hours playing pool together…

Aeko came in again during our matches with more decorations and spent about five minutes putting them up, before heading back out again.

 

About ten minutes after Aeko left the second time, we heard a knock at the door. I put down my cue and walked to the door, noticing Hisoka knock one of the striped balls into the nearest hole with his hand.

I opened the door, and saw Korin standing on the other side.

“Ah, good afternoon, Maemi,” Korin said. “I hope this is alright.”

Korin held up a long, crimson mermaid dress with light pink sleeves. As I looked down, I found the dress had a gradient – crimson to black.

“That’s- that’s amazing! But how? I don’t remember giving you any measurements…” I said.

“Monokuma gave me your measurements. In fact, the only one of you to give them to me yourself was Airou,” Korin said.

“Oh, okay…” I said.

“And Hisoka, don’t think for a moment I forgot you. I figured I’d give you your clothes together, since you seem to always be together,” Korin said, and held out a dark blue tuxedo with a light blue tie and black shirt. There seemed to be black music motifs in the fabric of the tuxedo…

“Woah, nice! Thanks, man,” Hisoka said.

“You’re most welcome, Hisoka,” Korin said. “I best be going back, to finish for everyone else.”

“Yeah, and we should go get changed,” I said. “I’ll go get changed in the women’s bathroom, okay, Hisoka?”

“Sure, and I’ll go to the guys bathroom,” Hisoka said, with a grin.

 

The two of us headed down the stairs together, before entering separate bathrooms on the first floor.

I spent a few minutes taking off my clothes and putting on the dress Korin gave me after locking myself in one of the stalls…

When I came out of the stall and saw myself in the mirrors…

… I didn’t really recognise myself. The dress Korin made seemed to change how I looked almost entirely…

“… Is this really me?” I asked myself for a moment, before pinching the fleshy part of my thumb to be sure.

“Ow…” I said, before turning around slowly, looking at my reflection. “I… wow. I look amazing.”

Korin was truly the Ultimate Fashion Designer…

 

I couldn’t stand there and admire myself in the mirror for long, though. Hisoka was probably waiting for me…

I walked out of the bathroom and didn’t find anybody standing there. I frowned, before heading over to the men’s room. I figured Hisoka couldn’t be that much further behind me…

“Hisoka? Are you alright in there?” I asked.

“Fuckin’ thing won’t tie!” I heard Hisoka’s muffled voice call back.

“Won’t tie? Are you talking about your bowtie?” I asked. “Let me come in and check it out!”

I opened the door to the men’s bathroom, to see the tie done up fine. But Hisoka’s hair was another story. His hands and arms were angled oddly, and his hairtie didn’t seem to want to gather all of his hair.

“Hey, easy! You might rip your clothes!” I said.

“Fuckin’ hell…” Hisoka muttered, as I walked over.

“Do you want me to do it up instead?” I asked.

“I think I just need to get the jacket off, but if you want to tie it up, I won’t stop ya,” Hisoka said.

I took the hairtie from him, and trying to memorise how it usually went up, I tied the hairtie at the back.

“There we go… All done!” I said.

As Hisoka turned around, I finally got a good look at him… He looked almost completely different, too. The suit looked really good on him…

“… We should probably go back to setting up for the party,” Hisoka said after a few moments. “Before Monokuma or one of the guys catches you in the boys’ bathroom, y’know?”

“Oh, right!” I said, quickly heading out of the bathroom, Hisoka behind me.

 

We went back to the recreational room and continued to play pool – a lot more difficult, in the clothes Korin gave us, but… being dressed up like this felt kind of nice. Like we were celebrities, almost. I guess Ultimates kind of are… but not in the same way. This felt like we were Hollywood celebrities… even though we were trapped in an abandoned mental asylum. It… was nice to forget that was the case.

At around 5:30, some of the other students began filing in. Aeko and Hiroshi walked in carrying trays of food – Aeko wearing a turquoise sequinned skater dress, and I could see some of the sequins were upturned and indigo underneath. Hiroshi wore a dark purple dress shirt and white pants, and I could see white cufflinks and purple thread on the shirt and pants respectively.

They were followed by Kokuro, Kadiri, Dai, and Seiryo. Kokuro quickly sat down at one of the tables away from everyone else, and I could see a white Lolita-style dress with black trims. Kadiri… really did look like a celebrity in her lilac ballgown, as she carefully took a seat next to Dai, who was dressed in a white sleeveless dress shirt, a sienna vest and pair of trousers, and a yellow bowtie. Seiryo sat down at the piano. He wore a fully-white suit, save for a dark blue dress shirt, and he’d tied his dreadlocks back.

“Do you even know how to play that thing?” Kokuro asked.

“A little. I’m not brilliant, but I am sufficient,” Seiryo replied.

“Alright, but if I say stop, then stop,” Kokuro huffed.

“Very well,” Seiryo replied, and began to play the piano.

It… sounded nice. It wasn’t Ultimate-level, so I didn’t think Seiryo would be the Ultimate Pianist, but it was still nice to listen to.

“Wait, where’s Kenji?” Hiroshi asked. “Didn’t you say you’d help him, Seiryo?”

“F-!!!” Seiryo slammed the lid down on the piano, and I watched him bolt out of the room with uncharacteristic urgency and speed. As well as almost dropping the F-bomb in front of us…

 

The next three to enter were Airou, Korin, and Satoko. Satoko stuck close to her brother. Airou was dressed in a black suit with a crimson dress shirt, ponytail draped over his shoulder and a silver cross necklace in place of a tie of any kind. As much of an asshole as he was, I could see why he was called the Ultimate Model… and Korin probably had a blast designing what he was wearing. Korin was dressed in a pale green suit with a pale pink dress shirt underneath, and he’d also forgone a tie… though I saw nothing that replaced it. Satoko’s clothes were fairly plain compared to everyone else, being a long-sleeved brown dress, but I figured she probably asked for that. She didn’t seem like the type to go all-out.

 

After a few moments and as those three settled into the room, Seiryo returned with Kenji. Kenji wore a nice red dress shirt and white blazer with red thread, and a pair of red shorts that had been cuffed at the ends around his legs- well, lack thereof.

“Again, I’m really sorry for forgetting,” Seiryo said.

“Eh. Don’t worry about it. I wouldn’t have minded if you forgot,” Kenji said.

 

Kenji was wheeled to a table, and Seiryo decided to sit down with him this time. We were almost all here…

Delawyn was the next to enter the door, as Aeko got up onto the stage. I… couldn’t help but feel a rush of blood to my cheeks. She wore a really beautiful olive-coloured dress, that complimented all her features nicely. She… she was beautiful.

 

“Ahem! Everybody’s attention please!” Aeko said, smiling. “Tonight, me and Tae would like to welcome you… er… welcome you…” Aeko trailed off.

“Welcome us to what?” Kokuro rolled her eyes.

“N-No, it’s not that, just… has anybody actually seen Tae?” Aeko said, looking around the room.

She… was right. There was an absence of sunny yellow in the room.

“Not since this morning,” Dai said.

“I haven’t seen her either…” Hiroshi said.

“I knocked on her lab’s door earlier, but she didn’t answer. I figured she was working on the food,” Korin said.

“I went there a little while ago, but… I’ll go check again!” Aeko said, before heading out the door.

“I’ll go check the kitchen. Though she has her lab, I feel like that the kitchen’s the next most likely place for her to be,” Seiryo said, before also leaving.

“How about I check this room for her?” Airou offered.

“She’s not here, you idiot! If she was, she’d have come out by now,” Kokuro retorted.

“Perhaps she is playing a joke on us. I will check here anyway,” Airou said, before crouching and glancing under the pool tables. He shook his head after obviously not finding her, before heading backstage to check there.

“… Maybe she went to her room and took a nap?” I suggested.

“Well, if you wish to go check there, I won’t stop you,” Kadiri said.

“I’ll check with you, Maem-“ Delawyn began, before she was cut off.

“Not to worry. I found her,” Airou’s voice sounded out from backstage.

 

Before I could open my mouth to say anything, at the same time, the door to the recreation room and the curtains to backstage opened.

“I didn’t find Tae in her l…la… la…” Aeko stammered. I can only imagine how pale her face went…

… as my own eyes were locked on the hanging body of the Ultimate Barista, Tae Kawada.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologise for the chapter taking so long. It's over 17,000 words, though, so I feel I'm justified in taking over a month to write the damn thing.


	7. Chapter 2: Memories of a Party Long Gone (Deadly Life)

I couldn’t take my eyes off Tae’s hanging body.

Every word that was said back in the dining hall a few days ago came flooding back to me…

The blood drained from my face. Not only was I proven wrong, but… Tae, one of the sweetest and most kind girls I’d ever known, hung dead on the stage right in front of us.

 

I could hear Aeko’s panicked cries turn to screams behind me. Part of me wanted to scream as well, but I found my voice caught in my throat.

The monitor in the recreational room turned on, and I heard a chime I begged to God would not become familiar to me.

“A body has been discovered! Following a brief period of investigation, we shall conduct our Class Trial!” The monitors said.

“What the _fuck,_ Airou?” Hisoka yelled, as Airou slipped out from behind the stage.

“What? You asked me to find Tae, and I found her,” Airou replied, and I saw him bite his lip. “I must admit, I didn’t expect to find her hanging dead backstage like a sandbag.”

“How can you be so calm? Tae is…” Hiroshi exclaimed, knees trembling. “She’s dead!”

“No… no! Don’t say that!” Aeko threw the door shut and charged towards the stage, before having Dai’s arms hook around her waist and hold her in place.

“Please, Aeko. I know how this must feel, but don’t rush ahead like that,” Dai said.

“Let go, please! She’s not dead! Tae can’t be dead!” Aeko pleaded.

 

The door opened once more behind us as Dai kept ahold of Aeko, revealing Monokuma and Seiryo on the other side.

“I… figured it would be this, but…” Though his skintone made it difficult to see, Seiryo’s blood drained from his face.

“Aeko-Mako’s got it all wrong!” Monokuma said. “The victim this time around is the one hanging right in front of you, the Ultimate Barista, Tae Kawada!”

“Please, I’ll do anything! Bring her back!” Aeko screamed. “This is just some horrible dream!”

“You’re as delusional as Maemi right now,” Kadiri said, shaking her head. “I suppose that it’s not your fault. The dead body of your friend’s right in front of you.”

“Hey, I’m not delusional!” I replied.

“You were the one saying ‘Nobody’s going to commit another murder’, right?” Kadiri said. “Well, look how that turned out.”

“That’s… me being wrong isn’t me being delusional!” I replied.

“HEY! Enough with the arguing! Save it for the trial, will ya?” Monokuma stood between me and Kadiri, waving his arms.

“Trial…? We… we have to go again?” Aeko stammered.

“What did you expect? There’s a dead body. Why wouldn’t he hold a trial?” Kokuro said.

“What gives you any right to speak?” Aeko struggled more against Dai.

“Aeko, please, calm down. At the trial, we will serve justice to the horrible person who did this,” Dai said. “So please… for now, help us investigate.”

Aeko slowly stopped struggling, and Dai slowly let her go. Aeko dropped to the floor, and began uncontrollably sobbing.

“Now that that’s all settled, I’ve updated the Monokuma File on your phones to be up-to-date with Victim Numero Dos!” Monokuma said.

“I’m guessing we don’t have time to get changed…” Kenji said.

“I’ll give you guys some time and a set of your clothes after the investigation, but before the trial, to get changed,” Monokuma said. “Aren’t I generous?”

“If you really were generous, you’d tell us who killed her,” Airou said.

“Well, I’m generous, but not _that_ generous,” Monokuma replied. “Anyway, get cracking with the investigating, and I’ll see you all later!”

 

With that, Monokuma disappeared, leaving the thirteen of us with Tae’s body.

“… We best begin the investigation. We can’t just stand around with Tae’s body forever,” Delawyn said.

“R-Right…” I said. I decided the best thing to do right now would be to check the Monokuma file.

I pulled out my phone and opened the file.

_The victim was Tae Kawada, the Ultimate Barista._

_The body was found at 7pm._

_The body was found in the backstage area of the recreational room on the 2 nd floor, hanging from the cords. Signs of blunt force on the victim are present. _

     ---

  * **TRUTH BULLET – MONOKUMA FILE**



**\---**

“That’s… a lot less information than last time,” I said.

“It could be because we already had the last crime and know how to investigate now…” Dai said.

“Or he’s withholding information that could lead us to the culprit from us,” Delawyn suggested. “… I’ll investigate the body.”

“I’ll accompany you,” Korin said. “So we’re clear you’re not the culprit, of course.”

“… I’ll admit, I have no alibi from 12pm to 6pm, aside from you visiting me around 2pm,” Delawyn said.

Satoko stood closer to her brother.

“I take it you’re watching me as well?” Delawyn asked, and Satoko nodded silently.

“Alright… I’m going to stay here and investigate here first. Everyone else, uh… group up into groups of three, and investigate elsewhere, okay?” I said.

“Why would we do that?” Airou asked. “Leave you alone in the recreational room, free to destroy evidence?”

I gestured to Delawyn, Korin, and Satoko. “Does it look like I’m alone in here? And besides, me and Hisoka have an airtight alibi from 1pm onwards!”

“An alibi?” Seiryo asked.

“Yeah, Hisoka and I were in here setting up and playing pool together until the party began!” I said.

“Fair enough,” Airou said. “Very well. Let’s all go investigate, everyone,”

One by one, everyone else filed out of the room, except…

 

“Maemi, is there any place particularly I should investigate?” Hisoka asked.

“Um… if there’s a group of 2 in there, go investigate Tae’s lab,” I said. “I’ll catch up with you later, okay?”

“Okay. See you, Maemi,” Hisoka said, before heading out the door.

I… sure had my work cut out for me. But for Tae, for Aeko, and for everyone’s sake… I had to solve this murder.

**_INVESTIGATION [START!]_ **

I headed backstage first, and did my best to ignore Tae’s hanging body. It was… easier said than done.

I decided to investigate the surroundings of her body. I took a look around, and found… nothing. Everything seemed to be how it usually was.

\---

  * **TRUTH BULLET – UNTOUCHED BACKSTAGE**



\---

I couldn’t find anything else of interest regarding the crime scene, so I decided to interrogate Korin and Satoko for the time being on their involvement.

I gently tapped Korin on the shoulder.

“Hey, uh, do you have a moment, Korin?” I asked.

“Do you suspect I did this?” Korin asked.

“Uh- um, it’s too early to say that…” I replied.

“I think it’s good to be suspicious. Admittedly, my alibi is flimsy,” Korin said. “I have been delivering outfits to the other students here since 10am. Satoko occasionally came in with a coffee for me. I think I would be sewing for about half an hour, before going out with a set of clothes and handing them over. I couldn’t be gone from my lab for more than ten minutes every time.”

“Thirty making, plus ten going, since 10am… That’s only about twelve outfits, though,” I said.

“I gave Satoko her dress yesterday, and I had noticed you and Hisoka entered the recreational room together and thus decided to make the two back-to-back. These are also only estimates, so bear that in mind,” Korin said.

“Okay… and did anything odd happen while you were giving the outfits out?” I asked.

“I went to give Tae her outfit at around 2:30. I knocked on her door, but the door was locked, and Tae wasn’t answering. I assumed she had locked herself inside to focus on her food,” Korin said.

“I see… Thank you for your help,” I said.

“No problem. As for Satoko, she was in her lab all day,” Korin said.

“I’ll ask her myself, but thank you,” I said.

\---

  * **TRUTH BULLET – KORIN’S TESTIMONY**
  * **TRUTH BULLET – KORIN’S ALIBI**



\---

 

I decided to talk to Satoko next.

“Hey, Satoko, uh…” I said. Satoko just looked nervous… I figured she wouldn’t say anything even now.

“Um… what were you doing at the time of the murder?” I asked.

Instead of a verbal response, Satoko stood up and headed towards the door.

“I- Don’t worry, I don’t suspect you!” I said.

Satoko paused for a moment, before slowly waving me towards her. I… think she wanted me to follow her.

I did as she asked, and we walked across the hall to her lab.

Inside, there were… a lot of finished sculptures. They certainly weren’t here when I was here last time.

“Wow… these are amazing, but aren’t we investigating right now?” I asked.

Satoko nodded, looking towards the floor. It… finally clicked for me.

“Oh! If you were in here making sculptures, then you couldn’t have done it, right?” I said.

Once again, Satoko nodded.

“Alright, I get it…” I said. “… Did you see anyone come in or go out?”

Satoko shook her head.

“Okay… so only you were in here,” I said to myself. “Alright, thank you, Satoko!”

\---

  * **TRUTH BULLET – SATOKO’S TESTIMONY**



\---

Satoko gestured for us to return to the recreational room. That was probably a good idea… Delawyn had to be close to finished with an investigation of the body.

 

We went back across the hall and entered the room… and we noticed that Tae’s body had been removed.

“H-Hey, where’d her-“ I began, but was cut off.

“I took her down,” Delawyn said, and as I approached, I could see her body lying flat on the floor.

“But… isn’t her body being tied up important evidence?” I asked.

“I can’t see any evidence that could be destroyed by taking her body down,” Delawyn said. “Contrary, actually. It… also felt cruel to just leave her hanging there.”

“Okay… uh, what have you found?” I asked, slowly approaching the body.

“First, there’s no bruising around her neck,” Delawyn said. “But I did find a bruise on the back of her head.”

Delawyn gently parted Tae’s hair, and showed a large purple bruise on the back of her head. “That said, I cannot find any major cracks in her skull.”

\---

  * **TRUTH BULLET – TAE’S UNBRUISED NECK**
  * **TRUTH BULLET – BRUISE ON TAE’S HEAD**



\---

“Secondly, this is probably obvious, but this is not Tae’s usual dress,” Delawyn said. I nodded in agreement. “I… don’t think she put it on herself, though. The placement is too neat.”

“I see… So, she didn’t put it on.” I repeated to myself. “You think she just needed help putting it on?”

“That’s possible. It’s also possible that the dress was put on her by someone else after her death,” Delawyn said.

\---

  * **TRUTH BULLET – TAE’S DRESS**



\---

I knelt next to Delawyn.

“Alright, anything el… Okay, did one of you go swimming?” I asked, as I became very aware of the smell of chlorine.

“So, you noticed that too. It’s coming from Tae’s body. Her hair’s wet, too,” Delawyn said. “As is the rope.”

\---

  * **TRUTH BULLET – WET HAIR AND ROPE**



\---

“That’s about all I could find relating to the case,” Delawyn said.

“That’s alright… I think that we’ve found a lot relating to the case,” I said. Delawyn stood up, and I did the same.

“… I think it would be best if I stayed with the Uesaka siblings and guarded the body,” Delawyn said.

“Really? What about the whole ‘Don’t split up’ thing?” I asked.

“You said yourself. You have an airtight alibi with Hisoka,” Delawyn said. “Mine’s not so airtight. I was in my room most of the day. So, it’s best I’m under the watch of the siblings.”

“Alright… I trust you, Delawyn,” I said, before heading out of the room.

 

There didn’t seem to be anything else of note, but the chlorine smell coming from Tae’s body concerned me a lot… I decided to head to the balcony overlooking the pool, but first decided to first get a rope so I could climb down and up to the pool if needed. And the only place I could think of that stocked them aside from where we found Tae’s body was…

… Ugh, _that_ room.

I swallowed my pride, and pushed my way into the room, trying to ignore what it was used for.

As I walked towards the wall, however, I noticed one of the hooks on the wall had no rope attached to it…

“… Huh?” I mused to myself, tracing the empty hook with my finger. “I… don’t think this was always missing…”

“It wasn’t,” I heard Kadiri’s voice behind me, and turned around to see her with Seiryo and Kenji.

“Um, how exactly do you know that…?” I asked.

“Don’t ask questions you’re not prepared to know the answers to,” Kadiri said. “Of course, like you, I have an alibi for the entire day.”

“I see… you were practicing your scene with Dai, right?” I asked.

“Yes,” Kadiri said. “And as I said, that rope wasn’t always missing.”

“Okay, so the rope here’s gone missing…” I mused to myself.

\---

  * **TRUTH BULLET – MISSING ROPE FROM LOVE HOTEL**



\---

“Why are you in here, Maemi?” Seiryo asked.

“I needed a rope myself,” I replied.

“Bweh…  I didn’t think you’d be into kinky things,” Kenji said.

“N-No! It’s not for that at all! Even if I was into things like that, we’re investigating!” I said. “I need the rope so I can easily get from the balcony to the pool.”

“Do you think climbing’s going to be easy in that dress?” Seiryo asked.

“Well, no…” I said. “But I’ve got to do it, right? Taking the stairs would take much longer.”

“You are cleared thanks to Hisoka, so I suppose there’s nothing stopping you from putting your other clothes back on,” Kadiri said. “You’ve got them with you, right?”

“Yeah, I do,” I said.

“I’ll tell everyone you’re in the laundry room getting changed,” Kadiri said. “Ease of investigation and all that.”

“Alright, thank you, but… er, first, Seiryo, where were you at the time of the murder? I know Kenji couldn’t get to the 2nd floor, and Kadiri and Dai were together the whole time,” I said.

“Admittedly, my alibi is not strong. I went for a swim at around 3pm. I was in the pool for an hour, before getting out at 4pm. At around the same time, Korin gave me the clothes I wear now,” Seiryo said. “I saw nothing related to the murder, just a few puddles.”

\---

  * **TRUTH BULLET – SEIRYO’S TESTIMONY**



\---

 “Okay… thank you,” I said, before heading out of the room, a rope slung over my shoulder.

 

I locked myself in the laundry room and began taking my clothes off, replacing the dress with my normal clothes.

It was a little regretful, but… if I wanted to solve Tae’s murder, I was happy to return to things as normal.

I finished putting my clothes back on, unlocked the door, and ventured back out into the hallway.

“You’re done?” Kadiri asked me as I left.

“Yeah, and I put the dress in the washing machine, too,” I replied.

“Good. I’ll go back to Seiryo and Kenji,” Kadiri said, before heading down the hallway.

 

I walked into the room overlooking the pool to find Hisoka, Airou, and Kokuro already there.

“Have any of you found anything?” I asked.

“Actually? Yes, we did,” Kokuro said. “Hurry up and take a look here.”

I quickly moved to where Kokuro had gestured, and saw…

“Huh? The railing’s wet here…” I said.

“Excellent fucking observation,” Kokuro said, the sarcasm in her voice thick enough to break a butter knife.

\---

  * **TRUTH BULLET – WET PATCH ON BALCONY RAILING**



\---

“Now now, Maemi’s only just come in and has been doing some investigating of her own,” Airou said.

“Y-Yeah. Um, so there’s a wet patch here.”  I said.  

“I also found this,” Hisoka said, and held up a metal pole. It was black, and only a few centimetres in diameter.

“You think this could be the-“ I began.

“There’s no blood, and there’s no cause of death on the file. I kind of doubt it’s the murder weapon,” Kokuro said.

“That said, I still think it’s important,” Hisoka said.

\---

  * **TRUTH BULLET – BLACK METAL POLE**



\---

“Alright… do you mind if I tie a rope here, so I can get to and from the two floors easily?” I asked.

“Be my guest, Maemi,” Airou said.

I tied one end of the rope to the railing near the corner so I could scale up the wall, and slid down the rope to the pool area.

 

The first thing I noticed once I reached the bottom was the wet patch under the railing, trailing out of the pool. It had dried up some, but was still visible.

“Hey, there’s a wet patch here, too! Right under the same patch in the railing,” I said.

“There’s a good chance they’re related, then,” Hisoka said. “Anything else down there?”

“I’m looking,” I said, glancing around the room. Nothing else seemed to be out of place… except one thing.

 “Hey, there’s a wet trail over here!” I said, heading towards the pool’s entrance. I left through the doors, and entered the wrap-around hallway.

I saw the trail of pool water leading into the men’s room. However, as my hands wrapped around the door handle…

“Oi!” Monokuma slid into the space between me and the door.

“Eek!” I said, stumbling back.

“I’ll let you wander around at nighttime in your underwear, and I’ll let you wander into the men’s bathroom. But wandering into the men’s changing room’s where I’m drawing a line!” Monokuma said.

“Seriously? The men’s changing room, during an investigation, is off-limits, even though somebody clearly went in there?” I said.

“Yep! If you wanna investigate, why don’t you get your little boytoy to help you?” Monokuma said.

“Boytoy?” I asked.

“Yeah, Hisoka! Or just one of the guys in general!” Monokuma replied.

“B- Hisoka is not a boytoy, let alone mine!” I replied.

“Yeah, yeah, sure,” Monokuma replied. “Either way, you’re gonna have to get a guy to investigate this place!”

“And if I investigate myself?” I asked.

“Didn’t you notice? There’s a machine gun on the other side of both doors. A scanner scans your student phone, and if you’re a girl entering the boy’s room or vice versa…” Monokuma said. “Need I say anything else?”

“N-No, I got it…” I said. “Seriously, just for being a different gender?”

“Can’t have any peeping toms, can we?” Monokuma said, before vanishing again.

\---

  * **TRUTH BULLET – SECURITY SYSTEM IN CHANGE ROOMS**



\---

“Ugh…” I muttered to myself, before heading back to the pool.

 

“Did you find where the trail led, Maemi?” Hisoka asked.

“Yeah, I did, but I’m gonna need your help,” I said. “Can you investigate the men’s room? Monokuma says I can’t because I’m a girl, and if I tried to go through, the guns on the ceiling would activate and kill me.”

“Uh… sure. That’s… comforting to know,” Hisoka said, before sliding down the rope and heading towards the rooms.

“I’ll let you know about it when I’m done, okay? You go back up and investigate elsewhere,” Hisoka said.

“Okay, I will. Thank you so much, Hisoka!” I said.

“Yeah, don’t mention it,” Hisoka said, before heading towards the rooms.

 

Using the wall, I climbed back up to the second floor, Airou hooking his hands under my arms and pulling me up when I was in reach.

“Uh… thank you?” I said.

“No problem, Maemi,” Airou replied.

“Hisoka should be back soon,” I said.

“Where’d he go, anyway?” Kokuro asked.

“I had to get him to investigate the men’s room… I can’t go in there because it’s off-limits to girls,” I said.

“All alone?” Airou said. “And if he’s the culprit?”

“He’s not the culprit. I was with him for half the day,” I said.

“Fair, fair,” Airou said.

“Alright, if Hisoka comes back, tell him I went to Tae’s lab to keep investigating,” I said.

“Fine,” Kokuro said.

“Um… but first, what were you doing all day?” I asked.

“I was in my room with some of the acrobatic tools in there, practicing a routine for a party that didn’t end up happening. Korin bugged me at about 1pm to give me this,” Kokuro gestured to the clothes she was wearing. “Not a solid alibi, but that’s the truth.”

“Alright, and you, Airou?” I asked.

“I understand my alibi is also flimsy. I was in my lab all day. A light inside my lab broke during the day. At around 5pm, Korin gave me the clothes you see here, and I took them and the broken light back to my room,” Airou said.

“Okay, seems reasonable.” I said.

\---

  * **TRUTH BULLET – KOKURO’S TESTIMONY**



\---

  * **TRUTH BULLET – AIROU’S TESTIMONY**



\---

“Alright, I’m done here, then,” I said, before leaving the room.

 

I ventured across the hall towards Tae’s lab, and as I opened the door, I could hear sobbing sounds emanating from the room immediately.

I looked over at one of the booths to see Aeko sitting inside, the sobbing coming from her. Hiroshi sat next to her, gently stroking her back.

Dai was pulling some of the things out of the oven.

“Um… have you guys found anything?” I asked.

“Aeko and Hiroshi haven’t done any investigating, but I can’t blame them,” Dai said. “The food in the oven is burnt slightly, though.”

“Burnt? That doesn’t sound like Tae…” I said.

“No, it doesn’t. I doubt she would burn her food,” Dai said.

\---

  * **TRUTH BULLET – BURNT FOOD**



\---

“Okay, anything else?” I asked.

“I… admittedly, only just began investigations myself. Aeko required a lot of comfort,” Dai said.

“She still does, admittedly…” Hiroshi said.

“I… I’m sorry, I… I know I should be investigating, b-but…” Aeko stammered, wiping her eyes every couple of minutes.

“Aeko… I’m sorry. We’ll find the culprit and avenge Tae, I promise,” I said. “So… please, just focus on calming down.”

“O… Okay,” Aeko said, cradling her arms together.

 

I continued to investigate Tae’s lab, before finding something that smelled heavily of chlorine tucked into one of the booths.

“Huh…?” I said, pulling it out and spreading it over the table.

It was… Tae’s old dress, apron and all, soaked and smelling of chlorine.

“Her clothes are soaked through… this has gotta be important,” I told myself.

\---

  * **TRUTH BULLET – TAE’S SOAKED CLOTHES**



\---

I also saw something in Tae’s pocket…

“… Her student phone?” I said. I switched on the power switch, and I found it turned on easily, displaying “Tae Kawada” on the screen. Though… I couldn’t access the Monokuma File. I figured that was to be expected… She was dead. Why would she need to access her own Monokuma file?

\---

  * **TRUTH BULLET – TAE’S STUDENT PHONE**



\---

 

“I… think that’s it for this room,” I said, heading towards the door. As I pushed through, I heard the monitors chime on.

“Ding-dong-ding-dong! The investigation period is up! All lunatics, please meet up in the courtyard! You will be given 10 minutes to get changed into your normal clothes prior to this. Anybody who is not there in the next fifteen minutes will be punished by the Mononurses!” Monokuma said, before the monitors flicked back off.

I was already in my clothes, though… I went to the balcony and grabbed the rope. I untied it from the railings, and I put it back in… that room. As quickly as I could.

After that, I quickly made my way to Hisoka’s room… and I waited outside, for five minutes. I needed to know what his findings for that room were.

 

Hisoka left the room.

“Maemi? What- Oh, right, what I found in that room,” Hisoka said.

“Y-Yeah, what did you find?” I asked.

“The trail led into the guy’s locker room and stopped in front of a locker. Seiryo’s, specifically,” Hisoka said. “Found a towel and bathing suit in it, and nothing else.”

“It was unlocked?” I asked.

“It was locked, but I told Monokuma it was for investigating purposes, and he unlocked all the lockers for me. There were towels and bathing suits in all the guy’s lockers, but Seiryo’s was the only one that was wet,” Hisoka said.

“Okay, I see. Thank you so much for investigating there, Hisoka!” I said.

“No problem!” Hisoka replied.

\---

  * **TRUTH BULLET – TRAIL TO LOCKER ROOM**



\---

“Anyway, we should be to the courtyard, right?” I said.

“Probably a good idea,” Hisoka said. We quickly both went to the courtyard.

 

We weren’t the last ones there, but Korin, Satoko, Dai, Seiryo, and Airou were already there.

“Rare you arrive before most of the others,” Airou commented.

“About as rare as a necessary and kind comment from you, Airou,” Korin replied.

“Stop fighting,” Seiryo said. “We have less information on the crime this time, so we will need to cooperate better to find the culprit.”

“Well said,” Dai said.

“Finally, some sense,” Hisoka agreed.

I could hear sniffling and two sets of footsteps behind me, as Hiroshi and Aeko entered the courtyard.

“It’s okay… it’s okay. We’ll find her killer, okay?” Hiroshi said.

“When we do find them… I hope they suffer for what they did to Tae.” Aeko wiped her eyes, and I saw an anger I’d never seen in them before… and I couldn’t help but agree. Who would hurt someone as defenceless and innocent as Tae…?

Delawyn, Kenji, Kadiri, and Kokuro filed in one by one.

“We’ve gotta do this again? And so soon? Bweh…” Kenji sighed.

“All because one of us couldn’t keep their bloodthirst to themselves,” Kadiri commented.

“Whatever. Let’s just get the trial over with,” Kokuro said.

“I hope that my autopsy will be sufficient,” Delawyn said.

“I’m sure it will be…” I replied.

“And the gang’s all here!” Monokuma said, descending from the ceiling. “As per last time, please gather inside of the gazebo in front of you!”

 

We all did as Monokuma asked, not a word between us. The vines closed around the elevator again, and the elevator began its descent.

 

Tae Kawada…

She was sweet, loving, kind, and always willing to support all of us, from making breakfast in the morning to organizing the class party that got us into this mess. It would be impossible for things to ever go back to the way they were.

And her murderer… was standing in this elevator with us all.

Someone in this elevator thought to kill her.

I didn’t want anyone else to die…

… but I wanted justice for Tae. For Aeko. For everyone’s sake.

And it would all come down to the second Class Trial.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did make this chapter pretty fast, but the investigation periods are usually fairly simple for me and I had a lot of things already planned out.


	8. Chapter 2: Memories of a Party Long Gone (Class Trial 1)

We gathered once more around the podiums – this time, with little to no issues. We knew where we all stood, now…

Another pit of anxiety began to fill deep in my mind. Would… would we soon get used to this?

… No, I couldn’t think like that. I had to keep looking forward and hope it wouldn’t happen again, no matter what.

I would solve this murder, find the culprit, and I would rally everyone together, to never give into Monokuma and the mastermind’s motives ever again…!

Tae’s killer… is one of us.

One more person gave into Monokuma’s wishes.

One more person committed an unspeakable atrocity.

And for the sake of everyone, I’ll expose them here!

**[CLASS TRIAL: START! ALL RISE!]**

 

“Now then, let’s begin with a simple explanation of the class trial!” Monokuma began. “During the trial, you will discuss the murder, present your arguments, and vote for whodunnit! If you vote correctly, then only the culprit will receive punishment. But if you pick the wrong person…”

“You’ll kill everyone else, the killer gets to leave, blah blah blah, we’ve been here before,” Kokuro interjected immediately. “Let’s just get right into things.”

“She’s got a point. There’s a lot to discuss, and no simple place to start,” Korin said.

“Every part of this murder is rather convoluted. Tae vanishes for half the day, not one person having seen her,” Kadiri said, “and then she turns up backstage in the rec room just as the party’s starting, dead as a doorknob.”

“It’s definitely weird… Who could’ve done that?” Kenji asked.

“Maemi and Hisoka were in the recreational room the entire time-“ Airou said.

“- Yeah, but we were both there the whole time! One of us wouldn’t benefit if the other committed murder!” Hisoka said.

“… Yes, I was about to say that,” Airou replied.

“I’ll admit, I do have a theory about Tae’s killer,” Dai said.

“Really? What’s the theory?” Hiroshi asked.

“My theory is that Tae’s killer, is **Tae herself** ,” Dai replied.

“T-Tae?” Hisoka asked. “You think she…”

“She wasn’t seen half the day, and then was found backstage, dead and hanging from a noose. It is certainly possible, isn’t it?” Dai said.

“N-No… Tae wouldn’t! Tae… couldn’t have!” Aeko stammered.

“I agree with her. I’m not entirely sure that Tae killed herself, either,” I said. “Could you explain why you think that Tae committed suicide further?”

“Very well, Maemi,” Dai said.

 

**[NON-STOP DEBATE 1 – START!]**

“Tae ending her own life would make the most sense,” Dai began.

“Okay, how so?” Korin asked.

“I’ll explain it, just as Maemi asked me to,” Dai said.

“Tae walks into the recreational room before anybody else,”

“Takes a rope from the **piles in the recreational room,”**

**[TRUTH BULLET – UNTOUCHED BACKSTAGE]**

“That’s wrong!” I shouted.

**[BREAK!]**

“The backstage of the recreational room was completely untouched,” I said. “So not only would she have not been able to use the rope, but she wouldn’t have had anything to stand on!”

“There is rope in the Love Hotel,” Airou said. “Though unlikely, it is possible Tae could have hung herself with the rope in there.”

Airou looked to me with a knowing smile. “Right, Maemi?”

… No, it wasn’t possible.

**[TRUTH BULLET – TAE’S UNBRUISED NECK]**

“This should prove it!” I said.

 

“No, I still don’t think she hung herself… Right, Delawyn?” I said.

“… Correct. There would be bruises on Tae’s neck if that was the cause of her death, but she was hung from the rafters **after** she died.” Delawyn said.

“So, not only did Tae not hang herself, her cause of death wasn’t hanging… I’ve got that right, right?” Hisoka said.

“Yes, Hisoka. Well done,” Delawyn said.

“I see, so Tae couldn’t have killed herself… I apologize for holding up time,” Dai said.

“You were testing a theory. Nothing to apologise for,” Airou replied.

“That said… what did Tae die from, if not from being strangled?” Kenji said.

“Establishing a cause of death is essential to this case, I believe,” Korin said.

“Then let’s move on to that mystery,” I said.

 

**[NON-STOP DEBATE 2 – START!]**

“So, how did Tae die?” Airou asked.

“Perhaps she was _stabbed?_ ”

“You **know** that’s not it!” Hisoka said.

“What about that _would on her forehead?_ ” Kadiri offered.

“Maybe she was _burned on the stove_ until she died from the pain?” Kokuro said.

“Or maybe she was _drowned_?” Seiryo said.

**[TRUTH BULLET – WET HAIR AND ROPE]**

“I agree with that!” I shouted.

**[BREAK!]**

 

“I also think Tae was drowned,” I said. “The proof is in her hair and the rope holding her up.”

“Her hair is wet. It would remain so for several hours if she was submerged in water, and wouldn’t dry out by the time we discover the body,” Delawyn said.

“So, we agree Tae’s cause of death was drowning?” Seiryo asked.

The courtroom was silent, filled with mostly nods.

“So, we know Tae drowned,” Dai said. “But, there are other things surrounding her death we need to figure out before we can determine a culprit.”

“Where she was drowned, and at what time, right?” I asked.

“Correct,” Dai said. “As for the culprit, we can rule out four suspects: myself, Kadiri, Hisoka, and Maemi all have alibis for the entire afternoon.”

“And whatever the rest of us say cannot be proven true or false,” Airou said. “That leaves ten of us that could be the killer.”

“As for the other questions, I think where she was drowned may be the easiest thing to solve,” I said.

“Do you already have ideas on where she could’ve drowned?” Korin asked.

“Yes, I do,” I replied.

Where Tae was drowned…

 

Where was Tae drowned?

The girl’s bathroom sink

Her bathroom sink

**The pool**

The toilet

“I’ve got it!” I shouted.

**[BREAK!]**

“Tae was probably drowned in the pool,” I said. “Based on-“

“ _That’s ridiculous_ ,” Korin replied.

 

“Tae drowned in the pool?” Korin asked.

“That’s my conclusion, anyway…” I said.

“That’s inexcusable.” Korin folded his arms. I didn’t think he was going to back down…

… So I can’t back down either! I’ll prove Tae drowned in the pool!

 

**[CROSS SWORDS 1 – START!]**

“Tae drowning in the pool makes no sense!” Korin began,

“There were so many other places that she could’ve drowned in,”

“That weren’t so open to the fact they could’ve been caught!”

**[ADVANCE!]**

“No, just because there were more open places,” I began, “doesn’t mean that she wasn’t drowned in the pool!”

“Of course she wasn’t drowned in the pool!” Korin said.

“If you look at it,”

“And you look at the fact **only her hair and the rope were wet,** ”

**[TRUTH BLADE: TAE’S WET CLOTHES]**

“I’ll cut through those words!” I shouted.

**[BREAK!]**

“No, Tae was most _definitely_ drowned in the pool,” I replied. “Though the clothes she wore when we saw her were bone dry, I found these tucked into one of the booths in her lab.”

“There… there was a strange chlorine smell in there, b-but…” Aeko stammered.

“You didn’t investigate it. It’s alright,” Dai said.

“How is that alright?” Kokuro asked, face scowling. “Our lives are on the line here!”

“She’s clearly in emotional distress, so I cannot fault her for not doing much investigating,” Dai asked.

“Let’s get back on topic,” I said. “Tae’s regular clothes are soaked through, and smell of chlorine, like the pool.”

“The body smelled faintly the same way,” Delawyn said. “You were with us and you didn’t notice?”

“In mine and Satoko’s defence, we were in no rush to be sniffing dead bodies,” Korin replied.

“… That’s fair, I suppose,” Delawyn said.

“So, Tae’s body was drowned in the pool… then how’d it end up in the recreational room on the second floor?” Hiroshi asked.

“Obviously, the culprit must’ve moved the body,” Kokuro replied.

“There was that wet trail Maemi noticed earlier, leading into the dressing rooms,” Airou said.

“R-Right!” I stammered. “While investigating, I found a trail of water leading from the pool into the male changing rooms.”

“It’s possible that the culprit dragged Tae’s body in there after drowning her,” Dai said.

“No, I made that trail after taking a swim,” Seiryo said. “I went to the pool at around 3pm and went swimming for about an hour.”

“That’s… in the timeframe for the murder, isn’t it?” Kokuro said.

“… Well, yes, it is,” Seiryo said.

“Then can we really guarantee you just went for a swim?” Kokuro said.

“I… do admit, I cannot prove I just went for a swim,” Seiryo said, pushing his glasses back into place.

“Then we might have our culprit,” Kenji said.

“It’s too early to decide that for certain,” Delawyn said. “But it is suspicious.”

I… don’t think Seiryo is the only option here. There’s got to be something we’re not considering!

 

**[NON-STOP DEBATE 3 – START!]**

“It’s quite clear Seiryo could’ve easily killed Tae,” Kokuro said.

“Well, I didn’t,” Seiryo replied. “ **I went to the locker room** after swimming and got changed.”

**[TRUTH BULLET – TRAIL TO LOCKER ROOM]**

“Wait, how do we know that’s your trail to the locker room?” I asked.

“If you have evidence it’s someone else’s, I’m willing to hear it,” Seiryo said.

I… don’t have any evidence of that. That’s probably not what I was looking for…

Damnit, I just made a fool of myself in front of everyone!

\--

“It’s quite clear Seiryo could’ve easily killed Tae,” Kokuro said.

“Well, I didn’t,” Seiryo replied. “ **I went to the locker room** after swimming and got changed.”

“You could’ve dragged Tae’s corpse to the locker rooms after drowning her,” Dai said.

“Exactly,” Airou said. “ **What’s stopping you from dragging her corpse inside?** ”

**[TRUTH BULLET – TAE’S STUDENT PHONE]**

“That’s wrong!” I shouted.

**[BREAK!]**

“Something would’ve stopped Seiryo from dragging her corpse inside the changerooms,” I said. “Tae’s student phone. We found it on her dress, still operational.”

“Why would Tae’s phone stop Seiryo from entering the changerooms?” Kokuro asked.

This was easy to answer.

**[SELECT A TRUTH BULLET!]**

**[TRUTH BULLET – SECURITY SYSTEM IN CHANGEROOMS]**

“Here!” I shouted.

**[BREAK!]**

“The security system in the changerooms wouldn’t have exactly stopped him, but they would’ve picked up on Tae’s student phone,” I said.

“S-Security system…?” Aeko managed to squeak out.

“Yeah, there’s… uh, Hisoka, you actually saw it. What was in there?” I asked.

“There was a giant machine gun or something on the ceiling aimed at the door,” Hisoka replied.

“Monokuma told me that if a girl enters the boy’s room, or a girl enters the boy’s room, they’ll be gunned down by the ceiling,” I said. “So if Seiryo had dragged Tae’s body in there, the gun would’ve gone off and killed him!”

“… What if he knew about that, and just left the body outside the room?” Kenji asked.

“How about it, Monokuma? Did Seiryo know of your little deathtrap?” Airou asked.

“Well, as long as I remain ambiguous enough, I’m sure I can respond to this,” Monokuma said. “I tell you guys once, and only once, about features in the school. It’s up to you to keep an eye on each other and spread them around!”

“That’s not much help,” Hiroshi said, and shook his head.

“No, that was plenty,” Airou said.

“If Monokuma only informs us of something once, and Maemi was the first to know of the situation with the changerooms, then Seiryo couldn’t know of it unless Maemi told him,” Dai said.

“Did you tell him?” Delawyn asked.

“No, I only told Hisoka about the doors,” I replied.

“Airou and I were with them at the time,” Kokuro said. “And that was during the investigation.”

“Someone could’ve been seriously hurt by that kind of withdrawal,” Korin said.

“No worries! My eyes in the sky and supersonic speed would stop the student from walking straight into an unmarked deathtrap!” Monokuma said. “No matter who it was!”

“So… Seiryo didn’t know about it, so he probably wouldn’t have risked leaving Tae’s body outside where anyone could stumble onto it,” I said. “And he couldn’t have hid in the girl’s changing room because of his own student phone.”

“So… it wasn’t Seiryo,” Kenji said. “… Sorry for all the accusations.”

“I understand why you’d be suspicious, so I don’t blame any of you,” Seiryo said.

 

“But… what do we do now?” Hiroshi asked. “What else can we discuss?”

I needed to bring up something else… something that might have helped lead us to a culprit. Someone’s testimony would probably be best…

**[SELECT A TRUTH BULLET]**

**[TRUTH BULLET – SEIRYO’S TESTIMONY]**

“Here!” I shouted.

**[BREAK!]**

“Seiryo, can you repeat what you told me earlier? Before the trial?” I asked.

“Of course,” Seiryo said. “I went for a swim at 3pm and was in there for about an hour. I was encountered by Korin at 4pm, who gave me the suit for the party. I didn’t see anything related to the murder, just a few puddles.”

“A-A few puddles?” Aeko stammered.

“Where did you see them?” Delawyn asked.

“Just under the balcony on the second floor. I assumed that someone took a swim before me,” Seiryo said.

“I don’t agree with that,” I said. “That someone else just went swimming, I mean.”

“What do you think, Maemi?” Kadiri asked.

“I think that was Tae. More specifically, her body,” I said. “Her body must’ve been pulled up onto the balcony after she was drowned.”

“You can prove that, right?” Dai asked.

I can prove it, with a certain truth bullet…

**[SELECT A TRUTH BULLET]**

**[TRUTH BULLET – WET PATCH ON RAILING]**

“Here!” I shouted.

**[BREAK!]**

“The culprit must’ve been on the second floor, and drowned Tae from there. The wet patch on the railing right above that puddle proves this.” I said.

“So… somebody dunked her in the pool? How would they even reach?” Kokuro asked.

“You’re an acrobat, I think you could do it easily,” Kadiri remarked.

“No, I don’t think Kokuro’s tall enough,” Delawyn said. “Both of them are fairly short.”

“Y-Yeah…  th-the first day we found the new locations, w-when she was hanging over the railing, she only just managed to reach under the floor and the railing…” Aeko said.

“And Tae herself was the shortest of all of us,” Dai added. “If Kokuro wanted a decent grip on her, Tae wouldn’t reach the pool.”

“… But if we rule out hanging over the balcony, how’d they get Tae’s body back after drowning her?” Kenji asked.

I needed to think… There had to be some sort of way that the culprit easily recovered Tae’s body after drowning her!

 

**[HANGMAN’S GAMBIT – START!]**

**_ _ _ _ _ _**

**P U L L E Y**

“I’ve got it!” I shouted.

**[BREAK!]**

 

“What if the culprit used a pulley?” I suggested. “They tossed her body into the pool from the second floor, then pulled it back up with a pulley.”

“That begs the question of what they used as the pulley, or how they recovered her body in the first place,” Dai said.

There had to be an answer.

 

**[NON-STOP DEBATE 4:  START!]**

“I’m going to go ahead and guess _the culprit is very tall,_ ” Kadiri said.

“Perhaps they used _their bedsheets_ to pull Tae up?” Hiroshi asked.

“… Maybe _a hook_ of some kind?” Kenji suggested.

“T-There’s nothing here like a hook that could be used!” Aeko protested.

“They didn’t use rope from backstage. Maybe _some of the rope in… that place,_ ” Delawyn suggested.

**[TRUTH BULLET – MISSING ROPE FROM LOVE HOTEL]**

“I agree with that!” I shouted.

**[BREAK!]**

 

“I think Delawyn’s right. The culprit used the rope from the love hotel!” I said.

“And then to hide the fact they used a rope pulley to recover the body, they tied it around Tae’s neck!” Hisoka said.

“Yeah, exactly! So, the culprit had to be someone who was on the second floor!” I said.

“But how’d they actually recover Tae’s body after tossing it into the pool from there?” Kadiri asked. “As in, assuming the culprit did throw it in, how would they use a rope to pull her back up.”

“… With the rope,” I said.

“And how? Honestly, are you dense?” Kadiri said, and I found myself gripping the edge of my podium as my heart began racing.

“D-Dense? I’ve been doing more for this class trial than you have at all!” I replied.

“Then answer me properly. How did the culprit recover the body after tossing it?” Kadiri replied.

I couldn’t think. I couldn’t think. Of all the times for my anxiety to flare up…!

“They probably tied her to the end of the rope,” I heard Hisoka say, before I felt his eyes on me.

“… It’s alright if you need to take a break, Maemi. I can handle this.” His face was a gentle, but assertive, smile.

I nodded slowly, lowering my head. I… just needed some time.

 

**[POV CHANGE – HISOKA ONGAKUNDO]**

If Maemi needs a break… it’s fine.

I’ll do my best for everyone.

“Tied her at the end of the rope?” Kokuro asked.

“Yeah, I think so,” I said. “If they tied her to the rope, they could’ve lifted her out easily after drowning her.”

“I… I have a question,” Aeko said. “W-why didn’t Tae protest? W-Wouldn’t she have fought?”

“I suspect she was knocked unconscious before she was thrown into the pool,” Delawyn said.

“That’s a nice suspicion, but it’s also possible she didn’t know how to swim,” Dai said.

“You can prove that, right?” Delawyn said.

“I believe it’s the only thing that makes sense,” Dai said.

 

  **[NON-STOP DEBATE 5 – START!]**

“If Tae couldn’t swim, it could explain how she drowned,” Dai said.

“Maybe,” Airou said, “But are you sure that you aren’t considering other options?”

“I’ve considered all other options,” Dai said. “And there’s **no evidence to support any other reason.** ”

**[TRUTH BULLET – BRUISE ON TAE’S HEAD]**

“You’ve got it wrong!” I shouted.

**[BREAK!]**

“No, there is evidence to support another reason!” I said. “Right, Delawyn?”

“I found a bruise on the back of her head, which would indicate she was knocked unconscious,” Delawyn said.

“Huh? By what?” Hiroshi asked.

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “But the bruise is still there. It indicates she was knocked out before being dropped into the pool.”

“If we don’t know what caused the bruise, there’s no point in discussing that further until we do,” Korin said. “So, let’s move onto another topi-“

“I-I think Korin did it!” Aeko shouted.

“… I’m sorry?” Korin asked.

“You… he was running around all day, wasn’t he? Giving everyone their clothes? There’s a lot of times where he was out of his lab, so… him killing Tae isn’t strange!” Aeko said.

It’s… true that Korin was out of his lab. But is it true?

Did…

Did Korin really kill Tae?

**[CLASS TRIAL – SUSPENDED]**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates may slow down from here on out - university just started up for me, which will sap away a lot of my free time that can be spent writing this. On the plus side, I also have a laptop, which I might be able to use to write updates while moving around on buses and trains. We'll just have to see how things turn out!


	9. Chapter 2: Memories of a Party Long Gone (Class Trial 2)

**[MONOKUMA THEATRE]**

“I have a special offer for those of you who have already figured out the killer!”

“If you can figure out who the killer is right now…”

“I’ll give you ten milli- hold on, I’m getting a word in from our sponsors.”

“Oh, we’ve done this one before.”

“… That’s a shame. A real darn shame.”

“Though I do kind of remember it, and my annoying little sister Monomi…”

“Eh. She’s old news now.”

“We’re back to just me, baby!”

**[MONOKUMA THEATRE]**

**[CLASS TRIAL – RESUME!]**

There’s still a lot to discuss, and I don’t know anywhere near as much as Maemi or Delawyn on the case.

But… could Korin really have done it?

It’s true that he was active all day, and it’s true that he could easily create an alibi for any time of day. But did he really kill Tae?

“The fact Korin was running around all day doesn’t necessarily mean he killed her,” Delawyn said.

“But he’d be able to make an excuse no matter when he killed Tae,” Kokuro replied.

“He could just say that he was giving someone their clothes,” Kenji added.

Satoko rapidly shook her head at the two, and… I doubt that she’d stand against her own brother.

“We do need to consider all possible options,” Airou said.

“I feel we should, too,” Korin said.

“That’s because you’re the one being accused,” Kadiri said.

Maemi… still hadn’t recovered. It was worrying… but if she still needed time, then she needed time.

“I agree we should investigate all possible options, but Korin is certainly a suspicious party. Let’s investigate that possibility,” Seiryo said.

“Y-Yeah…” Hiroshi said. “Korin is pretty suspicious.”

“I’ll certainly agree with that,” Dai said.

“Upupupu, looks like you guys are split down the middle!” Monokuma said. “You know what that means!”

“No more heights!” Kenji said. It didn’t matter.

Monokuma stuck a key into the panel in front of him, and once more, our podiums were raised into the air. Most of us gripped on, Maemi’s grip turning her knuckles bone-white.

God, the odds don’t look good for us… Satoko doesn’t speak, and Maemi’s not speaking.

Still… we can’t give up here! If Korin isn’t the culprit, and we accuse him, we’re all gonna die!

 

**[SCRUM DEBATE – START!]**

**KORIN IS THE CULPRIT**

**KORIN MAY NOT BE THE CULPRIT**

“Korin was in and out of the **Fashion Lab** all day,” Kadiri said.

“…” Satoko didn’t give a worded reply, but made a box with her hands to indicate Korin’s lab, and motioned herself walking into his lab, before holding up 4 fingers. 

“He had all the **time** he needed to kill Tae,” Kenji said.

“Most people have a **time** for when Korin came to visit them,” Delawyn said.

“Totally pointless if we don’t know when the **murder** took place!” Kokuro said.

“We know that the **murder** must’ve happened before 3pm,” Airou said.

“My **alibi** and testimony doesn’t mean that Korin is innocent,” Seiryo said.

“Anybody with no real **alibi** could’ve done it, not just Korin!” I said.

“B-But what other **option** is there?” Aeko said.

“Just because you don’t have another **option** in mind doesn’t mean I’m guilty,” Korin said.

“What other **evidence** do we have?” Dai asked.

“We’ve still got a lot of **evidence** that we haven’t discussed regarding the case,” Delawyn said.

“And this is our answer!” I shouted.

**[BREAK!]**

 

“Look, Korin might be the culprit. But we can’t decide that based on some random accusation!” I said. “Let’s go back, and look at the evidence, and we’ll think about this properly.”

“I’m…I’m sorry. But… Tae… she was so sweet, and kind, and she cared for all of us…” Aeko said. “Why… why did she have to die? I want to know, more than anything else in the world! Why would someone take Tae away from us?!”

“Aeko… it’s okay. Calm down,” I said.

“We’ll find the culprit. I promise you that much,” I heard Maemi’s voice again, and glanced over at her. “I… I’m okay now.”

“Alright. Hopefully, you can shed more light on the case than I can,” I said.

“You’re doing great, Hisoka…” Maemi said, and I knew her words weren’t hollow.

 

**[POV CHANGE – MAEMI AKEMI]**

I… I haven’t completely calmed down. But I have calmed down enough to keep going on the case.

“So, where are we?” I asked.

“Korin’s being accused of the murder by Aeko,” Delawyn said. “That’s basic enough to understand after a panic attack, right?”

“Y-Yeah. Um… Korin was giving people their clothes all day, right? So he should have an alibi for most of the day,” I said.

“I think that’s something we need to discuss further,” Airou said.

 

**[NON-STOP DEBATE 6 – START!]**

“Was Korin really giving out clothes most of the day?” Airou asked.

“You were just saying that he might not be the culprit!” Hisoka said.

“We’ve determined **Tae was murdered between 12pm and 3pm** ,” Dai said.

“Nyeh… but there’s **no** **way that we can narrow that down** further,” Kenji said.

**[TRUTH BULLET – KORIN’S TESTIMONY]**

“That’s wrong!” I shouted.

**[BREAK!]**

“We can narrow down the time frame for the murder further,” I said. “And this piece of evidence could also prove Korin’s innocence!”

“Then present it, we’re waiting,” Kokuro said.

“I-I’m getting to that!” I protested. “Korin, you told me earlier you went to Tae’s lab at 2:30 to deliver her dress.”

“That’s correct,” Korin replied.

“You told me that she didn’t reply, right?” I said. “The door went completely unanswe-“

“ **That proves nothing** …” Kenji interrupted.

 

“Huh?” I asked.

“… Tae not answering her door when Korin showed up is your decisive evidence of a smaller time frame for the murder?” Kenji said. “That’s ridiculous.”

No… Tae had to be dead by 2:30. I need to prove it!

 

**[CROSS SWORDS 2 – START!]**

“Tae was dead before 2:30,” Kenji began.

“Because she didn’t answer her lab’s door?”

“… You can do better than that, Maemi.”

**[ADVANCE!]**

“No, Tae was definitely dead before 2:30pm,” I replied. “We can shorten the time frame!”

“There’s more reasons than Tae already being dead to not answer the door,” Kenji said.

“She could’ve been **busy cooking food,** ”

**[TRUTH BLADE: BURNT FOOD]**

“I’ll cut through those words!” I shouted.

**[BREAK!]**

“No, her just cooking food would make no sense!” I said. “After all, the food in her lab was burnt. Isn’t that right, Dai?”

“That is true. When I investigated her lab, I found a lot of the food on the stove was burnt. Not bad enough to cause a fire, but enough to make it smell horrific,” Dai said.

“It’s possible she just burned it by accident,” Kokuro said.

“N-No, Tae wouldn’t burn her food! She never burned it before!” Aeko protested.

“And would the Ultimate Barista really make such a careless mistake?” Delawyn said. “Her killer, on the other hand…”

“… We still don’t know,” Hisoka said.

There must be someone’s testimony that’s not adding up.

One person who was on the second floor all day, has nobody to cover for them at any time of the day, and though they told the truth in their testimony, considering its contents and the crime scenes …

… I think I’ve finally figured it out.

**[SELECT SOMEONE!]**

Maemi Akemi

Satoko Uesaka

Korin Uesaka

Kadiri Nakashima

Mokichi Hatsu

Delawyn Fukui

Tae Kawada

Kenji Katayama

Kinzo Takashi

Hisoka Ongakundo

Kokuro Shiroko

Seiryo Yuuma

Dai Kamowa

Hiroshi Ohta

Aeko Kakatto

**[Airou Himura]**

“You’re the only one!” I said.

**[BREAK!]**

“… I think I might actually have some idea of who the culprit is,” I said.

“Really? Who?” Airou asked.

“Funny you should be the one saying that… because I think it’s you, Airou,” I said.

My words were met with a giggle from Airou.

“Oh, Maemi. Now’s not the time for jokes,” he said.

My stern face didn’t budge, and neither did my mouth. It didn’t need to.

“… I see. You are serious about this accusation,” Airou said. “How peculiar.”

“I know Airou’s not the most pleasant of us, but what makes you think he’s the culprit?” Seiryo asked.

There were two things that, if matched up… they connected him to the crime.

 

**[SELECT TWO TRUTH BULLETS!]**

**[TRUTH BULLET – AIROU’S TESTIMONY]**

**[TRUTH BULLET – KOKURO’S TESTIMONY]**

“These two testimonies contradict each other…” I said.

“Hm? How does my testimony contradict Airou’s? I was on the first floor all day and I never even saw him,” Kokuro said.

That’s… true. They don’t connect together or connect Airou to the crime.

Damnit, I messed up in front of everyone…!

**[TRUTH BULLET – AIROU’S TESTIMONY]**

**[TRUTH BULLET – SATOKO’S TESTIMONY]**

“These two testimonies contradict each other…” I said.

Satoko shook her head silently.

Actually, that… doesn’t connect right. They never saw each other, as far as I know, and Satoko’s not saying otherwise…

Damnit, I messed up in front of everyone…!

**[TRUTH BULLET – AIROU’S TESTIMONY]**

**[TRUTH BULLET – BLACK METAL POLE]**

“This should prove it!” I said.

**[BREAK!]**

“Airou, when I interrogated you, you said you were in your lab all day, right?” I asked.

“I did. Why is that strange?” Airou asked. I ignored the question, for the time being.

“And you said one of your lights had broken, right?” I asked.

“It did. Answer me, Maemi. Why is this strange?” Airou asked.

“Would it be safe to suffice-“ I asked.

“ **Why is it fucking strange, Maemi?** ” Airou hissed, and I felt myself back up slightly.

“Calm down, man! She’ll explain, and you can-“ Hisoka said.

“Leave it be, Hisoka! Let Maemi fight her own battles,” Airou said.

“He has a point. Cool yourself, you’re acting strange,” Dai said.

“I said, **leave it be!** For once, shut your mouth!” Airou said.

“S-Seriously, I’ve never seen you swear or yell at us before!” I said.

“… You’re right, I don’t swear or yell at you often. Meaning, you’ve tried my patience just one too many times, Maemi. Now, kindly explain. **Why the fuck is my testimony so strange!** ”

“I’m getting to th-“ I said, only to be cut off.

“Exactly. There’s nothing strange about my testimony, so be quiet,” Airou said.

Airou’s not listening to me…

So, I need to hit him with cold evidence that he’s the culprit!

 

**[PANIC TALK ACTION – START!]**

“Me? The culprit?”

“How preposterous.”

“You’ve no evidence to support it.”

“Be quiet, already.”

**{Tempo Up!}**

“Absolute nonsense.”

“Silence.”

“How could I have done it?”

“There is nothing odd with my testimony.”

**{Tempo Up!}**

“Shut your mouth already!”

“What’s so fucking strange about my testimony?”

“Answer me!”

“Fucking answer!”

**“So, how about it, Maemi? What is so strange about my fucking testimony?!”**

**|LAB|YOUR|POLE’S|FROM|**

**|POLE’S|FROM|YOUR|LAB|**

“This is the end!” I shouted.

**[ BREAK! ]**

“The metal pole we found in the balcony room!” I shouted, before I could be cut off again.

The courtroom fell silent – even Airou fell silent. I quickly took advantage of it.

“The metal pole we found was probably what was used to knock Tae out, right?” I said. “The pole is black in colour, thin, and about a few centimetres in circumference.”

“That… doesn’t explain a lot,” Hiroshi said.

“I know, it doesn’t, not on its own. The pole probably came from Airou’s lab. It wouldn’t be strange… if he wasn’t apparently in his lab _all day._ ”

“And how do you know that the pole wasn’t taken before the day began?” Airou asked.

“You said, specifically, that your light was _broken,_ not that the pole was missing,” I said. “And if the light’s pole was taken, and it wasn’t your fault, I think you’d have been a little more confused.”

And… once more, Airou fell silent.

“But how did Airou avoid everyone? There was almost always somebody wandering around the second floor,” Seiryo asked.

“Wh-what if he stealthed around everyone?” Aeko suggested.

“This isn’t the time for your jokes, Aek-“ Kadiri began.

“No, I agree with her,” Delawyn said.

“… What?” Kadiri asked.

“If Airou was on the second floor most of the day, he could get a general idea of when everybody was set to move around. Because you weren’t moving around spontaneously, that’s for sure,” Delawyn explained.

I agreed too… but when exactly did everything go down?

Before I could put everything together… I had to solve that mystery.

I needed to analyse everything… and come up with the route.

 

**[SHADOW BLADING – START!]**

…

…

…

**[QUESTION 1: When did the culprit kill Tae?]**

**Before 2:30**

After 2:30

…

…

…

**[QUESTION 2: When did the culprit first go to Tae’s lab?]**

Before 2:30

After 2:30

**They didn’t**

…

…

…

**[INCORRECT ANSWER.]**

**[QUESTION 2: When did the culprit first go to Tae’s lab?]**

**Before 2:30**

After 2:30

They didn’t

…

…

…

**[QUESTION 3: When did the culprit put Tae’s body backstage?]**

Before Hisoka and Maemi left the room

**Time between Hisoka and Maemi leaving**

After Hisoka and Maemi came back

…

…

…

“It’s all coming together!”

**[BREAK!]**

 

“I think I know how Airou could’ve done it!” I said. “If he timed his movement right, nobody would notice him. And as for when Hisoka and I left the recreational room-“

“You left the recreational room?” Kokuro said.

“Yeah, we did. We left for about fifteen minutes at around 4:30pm to put our clothes on.” I replied.

“So, you weren’t together the whole time,” Seiryo said.

“W-Well, no, not the whole time, but we were both getting dressed, and we know the murder had already happened,” I said. “So no, neither of us could’ve done it. And more importantly, that doesn’t erase the fact that when we left the recreational room, there was a fifteen-minute window for when it was completely unattended.”

“And Airou could’ve easily placed the body in there in that window,” Delawyn said.

“So, how about that, Airou? Did I miss anything?” I asked.

Airou… he just giggled.

“Then let’s finally fucking end this,” Hisoka said. I nodded… this had gone on long enough.

 

**[CLIMAX INFERENCE: START!]**

“Tae announced her plans for a party after breakfast and Monokuma’s new motive, saying that the group didn’t need to get back their old memories and could make new ones. This… was yesterday morning. We were all on board… including the culprit, who must’ve been planning their murder then, too. The following day, the culprit begins setting their murder into motion. After everyone had settled in, at around midday, the culprit disassembled one of the lights in their lab to obtain a metal pole. This wasn’t their intended murder weapon – just a tool they’d use to get the victim, Tae, vulnerable.

“The culprit spent about an hour scoping out the situation and how often Korin came out of his lab with new clothes, determining it to be about every half hour he came out, for ten minutes, before going back inside. The culprit also observed Hisoka and I enter the recreational room at 12pm and not come out. Aeko came in every two hours with some decorations for about five minutes.

“At around… I think, 1:30, the culprit began to make their moves towards the victim, Tae. After Korin went back into his lab after giving Kokuro her clothes, the culprit snuck out into Tae’s lab with the pole in hand.

“The culprit managed to get into Tae’s lab without her noticing, and while she was distracted with her cooking, hit her over the head with the pole hard enough to knock her out. With her unconscious, the culprit turned off the oven and left the rest of the food where it was – however, the pans were still hot, and burned her food, which helped leave behind crucial evidence to determining the timeframe of her death.

“The culprit then waited for Korin to give out another set of clothes and go back into his lab, before dragging Tae’s unconscious form to the balcony overlooking the pool. The culprit then went into the love hotel and grabbed an important item – the rope that would be used to suspend Tae in the water, and then hang her in the recreational room afterwards.

“The culprit tied Tae’s ankles together and her arms behind her back, before tossing her unconscious body into the pool, face-down, keeping hold of one end of the rope so they could easily recover the body. Even if she woke up, she wouldn’t have been able to throw her body right-side up. Tae didn’t wake up, and instead, she… drowned.

“After the culprit was absolutely certain Tae was dead, the culprit pulled her body back up with the rope pulley they set up, which soaked the railing and left behind a puddle. The culprit waited for Korin to enter his lab again, and once he had, dragged Tae’s body back to her own lab.

“The culprit then untied the rope around Tae’s limbs, and instead tied a noose around her neck. Something unexpected happened while they were doing this, however – Korin knocked on the door, announcing he had Tae’s dress ready. The culprit must’ve panicked, before quickly locking the door before Korin could investigate any further. Korin stayed outside for about 3 minutes waiting for an answer, before just leaving the clothes folded neatly on the floor outside and returning to his lab. 

“The culprit took the clothes once they were certain that Korin had gone back to his lab again, and switched Tae’s normal clothes over with the fancy dress clothes for the event. This might have tricked us that she died later than she truly had, but… we never discussed things that way. The culprit then unlocked the door and waited once more for their opportunity to go move the body.

“Eventually, the culprit saw Korin enter the recreational room to give Hisoka and I our clothes, and for us to all leave the recreational room – leaving it completely unattended. The culprit knew they had to act fast to avoid being caught, which is why they already tied the noose around Tae’s neck. The culprit, after making sure the coast was clear, went into the recreational room and went backstage. From there, they tied Tae’s corpse to the rafters. They didn’t have time to mess the room up to make it look like a suicide – Hisoka and I could’ve returned at any second.

“The culprit then went back to their lab, waiting for their own clothes to come through. They let the rest of the afternoon and evening proceed like nothing happened, and whether they really took their light back to their room or not is a mystery that we’ll only be able to solve by going inside their room.

“Once everyone had arrived and the party was about to begin, Aeko was the first one to notice that Tae was missing. Aeko went out to her lab to look for her, while Seiryo offered to search the kitchen. The culprit offered to search the recreational room itself, in case Tae was just playing a little joke on them. However, showing everyone the body was exactly what they wanted – they wanted all of us to be in absolute shock with the situation.

“The culprit then went backstage, pretending to investigate, before they pulled the curtains leading backstage back, and unveiled Tae’s body and their crime, for all to see… triggering the body discovery announcement.

**_“This is your crime, isn’t it, Airou Himura, the Ultimate Model?”_ **

**[BREAK!]**

“So. Is my explanation sufficient? Did I miss anything? Is there still something totally normal and unsuspicious about your testimony?” I asked.

Airou… just smiled.

“F-Finally… Tae can rest in peace,” Hiroshi said.

“And so can this class trial,” Dai said.

“Huh? We’re done? Okay! Everyone, take out your student phones and get ready to vote! Your classmates’ names are listed on your phone. Double-tap the classmate you wish to vote for! Also, not voting is such a sad thing… It shows you really don’t care about who the culprit is and about your own life. It’s also against the rules, so be sure to vote!” Monokuma announced.

I took out my phone, and with only slight hesitation, selected “Airou Himura” as my vote. I heard a set of chimes above me and looked to the screen… it tallied 13 votes for Airou Himura. A unanimous vote.

**[CLASS TRIAL – END.]**

“Thirty, love! Two to zero! You got it right again, and you guys don’t even have a detective!” Monokuma announced. “The killer of the Ultimate Barista, Tae Kawada, is the Ultimate Model, Airou Himura!”

“Truly, a shame…” Korin said, and with how his voice sounded… I didn’t think he was being sarcastic.

“Perhaps. But it’s true. I’m the bastard who killed her,” Airou affirmed.

“B-But why?! Why would you want to kill Tae?!” Aeko asked. “She was so sweet, so kind… Why?! **Why would you kill her?!** ”

Airou… still giggled. His giggling turned to chuckling, and then laughing…

… and then, he was in absolute hysterics.

“A-Airou?” I asked. “What’s gotten into you?”

“Oh… it’s just so hilarious. I’m sure you’re expecting some grand motive. Some grand final memory that finally caused me to snap and become the cold-blooded killer I am. Some big ultimate confession of how depraved and sadistic I truly am, and how Tae tried in vain to stop me, but lost her own life in the process!” Airou began, before calming down almost instantly, all giggles and joy vanishing from his voice along with his smile. “Truthfully… I just wanted the same as what _she_ wanted. To leave this place, more than anything else in the world.”

“… She?” Delawyn asked.

“So, I’m the only one who has reobtained their memories… I believe, anyway. Well, at the very least, I am the only one here with a relative that also played this dastardly game,” Airou said. “My emotional attachment to my family members must’ve overpowered my amnesia.”

“… I don’t understand at all!” Hiroshi said.

“Then I will explain, as I owe you at least that for taking such a sweet, kind girl away from you all,” Airou said, with a smirk. “My dearest cousin played the killing game before us, the game that took place within Hope’s Peak, and like us, was forced into it. She, too, tried to kill to escape… and be glad that I only killed one. She killed two.”

“B-Be glad?!” I stammered. “You still killed somebody! You killed our friend! And now, you’re going to die too!”

“That is regrettable, that I am to also die… I thought I would succeed where she failed with a little more ambiguity. But, I suppose that failing killing games is something that’ll run in our family forever, or at least until Monokuma’s antics are finally ended, for good,” Airou said.

“This talk about your cousin… god, it sounds borderline incestuous. Can we just skip to the punishment?” Kokuro asked.

Airou frowned, lips curling in disgust. “I assure you, while I love my cousin, it is not in that disgusting fashion.”

Aeko… had gone completely silent. She just stared at Airou, with the most hatred I’ve ever seen her look at someone. Her eyes were like ice.

“Aeko, such hostility… I guess it cannot be helped. I proved to be quite horrific, didn’t I?” Airou said. Though he was moments from death… he still smiled, once more. Sickeningly sweetly.  

But… I could see the corners of his lips trembling, and eyes blinking quickly.

“Geez, maybe it really does run in your family,” Monokuma remarked. “Though memories? She just wanted some cash! At least that motivation had some pizazz to it!”

“My cousin’s murders are separate from my own, of course.” Airou smiled bitterly, before tossing his ponytail behind his head with a flick of his hair. “Well, I don’t have much else to say. I made many enemies in my short time here, nobody wishes for me to stick around longer, and my coffin and Hell await me. So, how about we don’t prolong this longer than it needs to be?”

“Well, if you insist!” Monokuma said. “I have a very special punishment planned for Airou Himura, the Ultimate Model!”

“Well, this is where we part ways,” Airou said. He gave one last smile to us.

“Let’s give it everything we’ve got!”

“May we all meet again in the next life.”

“IT’S PUNISHMENT TIME!”

 

[AIROU HIMURA HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY.]

[TIME FOR THE PUNISHMENT!]

Airou was instructed to sit on a gothic-looking chair, as various Monokumas emerged nearby, all holding cameras so strange that they barely seemed like cameras at all. Metal clamps attached themselves to Airou’s feet, knees, arms, and ankles, and the faintest glimmers of sweat could be seen on his forehead, his smile trembling, but remaining.

**[Ultimate Model in: Photo-shoot!]**

Airou’s arms and legs were forced into a new angle by the clamps, with a slight flinch from him. There was no noise, until…

BANG!

A gunshot went off at the same time as one of the Monokuma’s camera flashes, and a new bleeding wound had appeared in Airou’s right leg. It prompted a larger flinch from him. His limbs were then forced into another position, this time with the slightest sound of tearing flesh.

BANG!

Another gunshot and another camera flash went off – this time, the wound appeared in Airou’s left arm. It prompted another flinch – one that finally tore away his smile. He gave nothing more than a look of apathy.

The process continued.

His body was ripped into a new position.

Another gunshot to an extremity.

Moving his body – Airou’s right leg snapped broken at the first gunshot wound as his body was moved again.

BANG!

A bullet tore into Airou’s shoulder.

Airou’s body was finally held up, arms crossed over his chest and ankles together.

Monokuma took one of the cameras, stood on one of the other Monokuma’s shoulders, and held the “camera” up to Airou’s face.

Airou gave one last smile.

BANG!

Airou’s body fell back.

 

…

We were all completely silent this time. No screams, no words.

Airou…

He might not have been a classmate we all enjoyed the company of, but… he was still our classmate. He was still one of us…

I looked towards Aeko. I expected to see a smile on her face. After all, Tae’s killer was dead now… we’d served justice. 

But when I looked at her face, I could see her trying to hold back tears.

“A-Aeko…?” I asked.

“Tae… Airou killed her, and now he’s dead, but… why am I still…” Aeko asked.

“… If you want to let your feelings out, feel free to do that.” Hisoka placed a reassuring hand on Aeko’s shoulder.

“B-But… I’m not supposed to be like this… I’m supposed to be happy…” Aeko said. “I said I’d enjoy watching her killer suffer, b-but… I didn’t. And I don’t know what to do…”

“If you just bottle your sadness up, it’ll make you feel worse over time,” Seiryo said.

“That’s right… and besides, Tae… I don’t think she would want you to bottle up your emotions,” I said. “Or at least, I don’t.”

Aeko...

She finally let the tears fall from her face.

“Tae…! M-Mokichi! Kinzo! E-Even Airou… Why?” Aeko cried.

“It’s all this fucking bear’s fault! But, everyone who’s died so far would want us all to keep going!” Hisoka said.

“And… we’re going to work hard, to make sure that a murder never happens again!” I added.

“ _Knock it off already,_ ” Kadiri said.

“Kn-knock it off?” I replied.

“She’s got a point. You said that we wouldn’t murder when there were sixteen of us. You said that when there were fourteen of us. And now, there’s only twelve of us,” Kokuro said. “When are you going to understand that in this situation, murder is unavoidable?”

“B-But-“ I stammered.

“Your idealism… it keeps jinxing us, and we keep having to come back here,” Kenji said. “I know my opinion’s not worth much, but… seriously. I want to see what happens if you’re quiet, and don’t talk about trying to prevent murder.”

“I-“ I could feel my heart racing and my face breaking out into cold sweats.

“… Stop harassing her!” I heard a voice say, and I turned my head to its source. Aeko’s head was raised, still tearing at the eyes.

“A-Ae…” I choked out.

“Maemi’s been trying her hardest to keep everyone unified and happy since we got here, and all half you guys have been doing is putting her down for it!” Aeko shouted. “If the options are the chances of going back here, and just sitting on our buttcheeks doing nothing but being sad and depressed and cruel… then I’d rather come back here!”

“How on earth could you say something like that?” Seiryo asked.

“It’s not like I want to come back here… no, I don’t want that at all. I want us all to live, and happily! That’s what Tae would want, too! For us all to be happy!” Aeko said. “So… I’m going to keep moving forward, for the sake of everyone who’s died! Keep my head high, and face the day with a spirit wilder than… a frickin’ tiger with… I don’t know, lazer beams for eyes!”

“… Y-Yeah!” I stammered, trying to steel myself to support Aeko. “T-Thank you, Aeko…”

“No, thank you! You… if it weren’t for you and Hisoka, I’d still be holding back all my emotions… but from now on, no holding back!” Aeko shouted, wiping her face, before pumping her fist. “You can count on me from now on!”

“You… recovered quickly,” Delawyn remarked.

“I know, but… that’s what Tae would’ve wanted, right? She wouldn’t want me to be crying. That’s not how she knew me!” Aeko said.

“I know. I apologise, I didn’t mean for it to sound rude. It was an observation,” Delawyn said.

“Well, if we’re done here, we’ve got somewhere to return to,” Kokuro said.

“That’s true,” Dai said. “Though I suppose… tomorrow may not be as lively as it once was.”

Unfortunately, despite all Aeko’s punchiness returning… Dai was right.

 

We stood inside the elevator a few moments later as it rocketed back up to the asylum. Aeko stood by the elevator’s doors, a look of firm determination on her face. Hiroshi stood with Dai, just waiting quietly for the elevator to return. I wasn’t surprised to see Korin and Satoko together again. Kadiri stood in the corner of the elevator, a cigarette already in her mouth for when we arrived back. Seiryo stood with Kenji, though the two weren’t interacting. Kokuro leaned against the back of the elevator, just waiting for the elevator to arrive back at the surface.

And… I stood with Delawyn and Hisoka once more.

“… Any more ideas as to the mastermind?” Hisoka asked.

“I’m… not a detective, and I haven’t seen anything that would rule someone out,” Delawyn admitted. “But I know this game isn’t going to support them. They’re at risk here, and as more die, or more time goes on, they’re either going to be murdered or be found out.”

“Then… why set up this game in the first place?” I asked.

“My guess? They’re not here to ‘win’ this depraved excuse for a game,” Delawyn said. “They want something out of us.”

“Didn’t Airou call this shit a game?” Hisoka asked.

“He did, but… is there any other way to describe this?” I asked.

“Hell! That’s what it is!” Hisoka said.

“… I don’t see the point,” Delawyn said.

“If we start calling this a gam-“ Hisoka was cut off.

“No, not that. Honestly, I don’t mind what you call this, and I see why you don’t want to call it a game. But… if we assume Seiryo is the mastermind, why erase your memories to the point of not remembering your talent?” Delawyn said.

“So… you don’t think Seiryo’s the mastermind?” I said.

“It wouldn’t make sense to erase your memories so thoroughly if you needed to run something like this,” Delawyn said. “When we arrive back… one of us should talk to him. We can’t exactly keep our meetings secret, but if we had him on board… we’d be able to rule out a third of us left as being the mastermind.”

“Alright, I’ll talk to him… should we meet up?” I asked.

“My room, if that’s okay,” Delawyn said.

“Fine by me,” Hisoka said.

 

We stood in silence for a few more minutes, before the elevator finally arrived back. Everyone… looked exhausted. I felt exhausted. But I couldn’t sleep yet.

As we all walked back out to the hallway, I tapped Seiryo on the shoulder.

“Hm? What is it, Maemi?” Seiryo asked.

“I… Delawyn said she wanted to speak with you, me, and Hisoka, in her room,” I said.

“Very well. I’ll also admit, I’ve… been trying to create some breathing exercises. They’re not the best, but I think they may help with your anxiety… especially considering your-“

I cut Seiryo short. “Y-Yes, I know, I broke down at the trial again.” I was about to protest him, say I was fine, but… honestly, if I could manage my anxiety better… I’d probably be better at rallying everyone together, too.

“… Alright, after we meet with Delawyn, I’ll try them out. Okay?” I said.

“Seems fine by me,” Seiryo said.

 

And... with that, our meeting with Delawyn, and a small club of people who weren’t the mastermind, was begun.

**[CHAPTER 2 – END]**

**SURVIVORS: 12**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaand luckily, I got this out just before Uni got hectic. 
> 
> Uni does look like it's set to do that, though, so I would not advise expecting an update soon - I've still got to plan the next chapter, after all.


	10. Chapter 3: Savior of the Silent, Destroyer of Strength

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So before we start the chapter, I thought I should let you all know that the Deadly Life and Class Trial segments may be delayed due to university work. I hope to get them done before the university term ends, but who knows what pears life'll throw at me?

“Not-the-Mastermind club?”

 

Seiryo blinked in bewilderment. He sat on the floor beside me, looking up confusedly at Delawyn, who’d seated herself on her bed, legs criss-crossed.

“Yeah. Congrats! We’ve decided you ain’t the mastermind,” Hisoka said, arms leaned over the back of the chair as he sat on it back-to-front.

“I’m sorry, mastermind?” Seiryo asked.

“Y-Yeah… we’ve- I mean, mostly Delawyn- figured there’s gotta be someone behind all this. There’s something seriously big going on if we haven’t been found by now,” I said.

“And I suspect there’s a representative of that organisation here with us. Or, like Junko Enoshima, one of us is responsible for the entire thing,” Delawyn added.

“Right… Airou mentioned this wasn’t the first killing game,” Seiryo said.

“As well as the history of Hope’s Peak, and the motive that drove Airou to kill,” Delawyn said.

“Delawyn came up with the idea that there was a mastermind first, and then she told me and Maemi. And now, we’re telling you,” Hisoka said.

“Thank you, but why do you suspect I’m not the mastermind?” Seiryo pushed his glasses up slightly.

“You can’t even remember your own talent, and you’re the only one here that can’t. For one, if you were the mastermind, I don’t think you’d erase your own memory to that degree,” Delawyn explained. “And for two, not being able to remember your talent would make you suspicious immediately. It’s too obvious an answer, for someone who set up a situation where we solve mysteries.”

“I see… I guess we don’t have much to work off,” Seiryo said. “So, what exactly do we want to discuss?”

“I don’t have much I wish to say, actually. Just to let you know of the meeting. Of course, it’s not possible to have a truly private meeting…” Delawyn trailed off.

“I… think we should just keep an eye out for suspicious behaviour for now,” I said. “We can’t do much otherwise.”

“Yeah, that’s true. Sucks, really,” Hisoka said.

“You’re… not very good at this, are you?” Seiryo asked. “I mean no offense, of course.”

“I’m not offended, and you’re right, I’m not. I’ve just kind of been dragged along for the ride,” Hisoka admitted.

“I’ve also been dragged along by Delawyn, mostly,” I said. “I mean, I fucked up and forgot that we’re being monitored, and that led to-“

“I’ve told you. I believe you made an honest mistake,” Delawyn said. “Though I will admit, Maemi has a point. Until I know of something more concrete, I just called the meeting so that we know we can trust each other.”

“I see… the mastermind knows anyway, so creating a network of people who know they’re not the mastermind helps,” Seiryo said.

“So, uh, meeting over?” Hisoka asked.

“Do you have anything else worth discussing?” Delawyn asked.

We were silent for a moment.

“I’ll take that as a no. Well, it’s late, so I won’t keep you here longer,” Delawyn said.

“Alright, meeting over,” I announced. “And if we find anything, don’t hesitate to call or text each other.”

“Got it!” Hisoka said, before yawning and standing up. Seiryo and I did the same, and the three of us filed out into the hallway.

 

I turned to Seiryo as we reentered the hallway.

“So… uh, what did you have in mind for the exercises?” I asked. In the corner of my eye, I could see Hisoka heading back to his dorm.

“I don’t think I’m a psychiatrist, so they’ll be fairly simple and designed to just help you remain calm. I think it’d be best to go to your room, though if you feel unsafe, we could wake someone else up and have them join us,” Seiryo offered.

“No, I trust you,” I said. “And… though some of them might have figured it out, I don’t think I want them to know just yet.”

“Alright. Lead the way,” Seiryo said.

 

I walked back to my room, Seiryo following behind me. I unlocked and pushed open the door, let him in, and shut it behind me. I sat on my bed, and he pulled up his chair to sit in front of me.

“To start with, do you want to hold my hand? You can refuse, if you’d prefer,” Seiryo said.

“Um… I’ll refuse for now,” I replied.

“Alright. Now, I want you to do the following. I want you to breathe in for four seconds, hold it for four seconds, and then breathe out for four seconds. Okay?”

“Okay…” I said.

I did as Seiryo instructed. I breathed in.

1, 2, 3, 4…

I held my breath.

1, 2, 3, 4…

But when I tried to breathe out, it all came out at once.

I lowered my head, ashamed with myself.

“That’s alright. It does take practice,” Seiryo said. “Let’s try again.”

“Okay… um, can I hold your hand this time?” I asked.

“Of course.” Seiryo held his hand out.

I slowly took it… It was bigger than mine, and felt nice and warm.

“Are you alright? Your hands are freezing,” Seiryo said.

“Yeah, my mom had cold hands, and that kinda passed onto me,” I said.

“I see. Well, let’s try again, and don’t stress if you mess up.” Seiryo gave a wry smile. “It’d defeat the purpose of the exercise.”

 

We continued for about an hour. “Breathing exercises” as a plural was generous – it was mostly the same exercise, with occasional slower variations.

Eventually, though, I got too tired to continue, and Seiryo left my room and went to bed. I laid back, and fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

 

 

**[MONOKUMA THEATRE]**

“People since my birth have been asking,”

“’What is with your left eye, Monokuma?’”

“Some people like to make theories.”

“Did I get it in a fight with 23 other bears?”

“Was I cursed to have it by a demon?”

“Did I trip and fall down the stairs, scarring my face?”

“The truth is…”

“… And a pause for dramatic effect…”

“… none of these things.”

“It’s just a tattoo.”

**[MONOKUMA THEATRE]**

 

“Ahem- attention, all lunatics! It is now 7am! The cafeteria and dining hall have been unlocked,” Monokuma announced. “Please, let’s all have a wonderful day together!” The monitors shut off as Monokuma finished his morning announcement.

 

There are times where I’m tempted to just throw something in frustration. And there are times I just want to throw something at something else. When Monokuma’s morning announcements arrive, I want to throw my pillow at the monitor. But I don’t know what the consequences for that would be.

 

I dragged myself out of bed, untangled my hair from its ties, took off my clothes, and got into the shower.

I let the warm water flow over my back and pressed myself against the shower wall. I tried not to let my mind wander… it did anyway.

Back to yesterday, right after Airou’s execution.

Back to Kokuro and Kenji’s words…

As I started putting soap over my body, I felt my mind wander. Was… it really inevitable? That… that no matter what I said or did, there would always be another murder? That every effort I made to keep us from falling apart would just be wasted breath and actions…?

I felt my breath and heartbeat start to quicken, and my chest get tight.

Remember what you were taught, Maemi…

I started trying to take deep breaths, as I started putting conditioner in my hair.

They were shaky. They were uneven.

But… they were deep breaths, and I started to calm down. I had to… I couldn’t just keep breaking down like that.

I stood up straight and rinsed my hair out, before leaving the shower. After drying off, I headed out into the hallway.

 

The first thing I smelled… was smoke.

“Oh god- is the kitchen on fire or something?!” I exclaimed to myself. But I’d barely taken more than a few steps towards the dining hall before I heard a voice behind me.

“God, I hope not.” I whipped my head around to face the source of the voice – Kadiri, leaning against the door to what I assumed was the exit to this place.

And also, the source of the smoke – her cigarette.

“Ah, Kadiri, didn’t see you there…” I said.

“Didn’t see my beautiful face?” Kadiri flashed a smile, and I wondered how someone who has a smoking habit had clean teeth. Must be the work of her agents…

“Um… are you coming to breakfast?” I asked.

“Why, who’s cooking?” Kadiri replied.

I… couldn’t answer. I didn’t want to answer. It hadn’t even been 12 hours since the trial.

“That… look, I’ll do it if I have to. But I think we should still stick together for breakfast…” I said.

Kadiri shrugged, pausing for a moment and blowing a cloud of smoke into the air – though she blew it away from me, I still covered my face.

“Fine… I’ll join you for breakfast.” Kadiri smashed the end of her cigarette against the door. I was afraid that would summon Monokuma, but he seemed to stay out of sight.

 

I walked with Kadiri to the dining hall, and realised I must’ve taken longer in the shower than I thought – everybody else was already there.

“Bloody hell, could you take any longer?” Kokuro said.

“… Good morning to you too, Kokuro,” I replied.

“Huh. The kitchen might actually be on fire.” Kadiri pointed towards the doors separating the dining room and kitchen.

“Shit-!! I’ve got it!” I said, and took off running into the kitchen.

 

When I entered the kitchen…

I realised it wasn’t smoke.

It was steam.

Aeko was inside, a kettle on the stove, and 12 cups strewn across the table. She was paying close attention to the toaster… but the kettle on the stove was overflowing with boiling water and steam!

“Aeko! The kettle!” I shouted.

“Huh? Oh, crap!” Aeko shouted, before rushing over to address the kettle. I ran over to the toaster and noticed 12 plates out, all with a piece of toast on them.

They… smelled pretty good, actually.

“I know it’s not great, but I was in Tae’s lab last night, and it looked like the only thing I could cook…” Aeko said.

“They actually look fine, Aeko. How’s the coffee?” I asked.

“I already asked everybody how they take it!” Aeko said, pushing her fingers together. “I… also got that advice from a book in Tae’s lab. There were a bunch of books in the cupboards.”

“How long did you spend in her lab?” I asked.

Aeko averted her eyes. “… I… I slept there. I miss her.”

It… I knew it was inevitable that it would sink in. But when it did sink in that Tae was gone…

Aeko shook her head. “Anyway, I thought if I made coffee for everybody, even if just for today, I’d be able to help carry on her wishes and hopes!”

“Yeah… I think that’s really sweet,” I said. “… I think she’d be proud of you.”

Aeko nodded, blinking rapidly, but with a smile still on her face. “Here, I put a yellow dot on all the cups that are supposed to have milk! I was worried I’d forget if I did. You do the coffee, I’ll get the toast!”

I chuckled a little – wouldn’t I be the one making the coffee, then? I decided not to mention it, and just did as she asked. I poured more water into the kettle, and began pouring it into the cups, taking care to hold back a little when it came to a dotted cup. Aeko pointed to the one furthest to the right.

“That one’s yours, so take it how you like!” Aeko said. I nodded, pouring the water in, before going to the fridge and pulling out the milk. Aeko opened the hallway door, propping it open with her shoe so the steam would filter out, before spreading various spreads on the toast.

Aeko tossed her head back to me. “What would you like on yours?”

“Is there any strawberry jam?” I asked.

“Yep!” Aeko turned back to the toast, and I turned back to the coffee.

 

After a few minutes, we were done.

“Alright, I got out the platters already! Um… though you don’t know whose coffee is whose. Um… you can go back out now,” Aeko said.

I chuckled nervously. Not even a thank you…? I still did as she asked, heading back into the dining hall.

 

I took a seat between Delawyn and Hisoka. The group of us talked for a bit, before Aeko came back out, a tray in her hands.

“Alright, I’m gonna be making a few trips back and forth, so uh… This is all the black coffee,” Aeko announced, before going around the tables, placing a cup in front of Dai, Delawyn, Korin, Kadiri, and an empty seat – as the rest of us were here, I assumed that was for her.

“I’ll be back with the rest!” Aeko ducked back into the kitchen.

 

“Well, at least the kitchen’s not on fire,” Kadiri said, smirking, before taking a sip of coffee.

We were silent for a moment, only intercut with Korin taking a sip of his coffee.

“… We’re missing a certain morbidity to the atmosphere,” Kokuro finally said.

“Bweh… Never thought I’d actually miss him.” Kenji sunk in his chair.

It… finally sunk in for me, too. Tae and Airou… they were gone. They were really, really, gone.

And if I didn’t do something to stop this…

 

“I’m back!” Aeko said, another tray full of coffee in her hands. She quickly gave them out to everybody else.

“Thank you!” Hiroshi said, as a cup was placed in his hands.

“Right, sorry, forgot my manners! Thank you, Aeko!” I said.

“It’s fine! Um… I think we’ll leave the toast for a bit, but if you wanna grab yours, they’re in the kitchen.” Aeko took a seat in the empty chair, grabbing the coffee cup in front of her.

 

It was… quieter, this time.

A few minutes passed. No conversations, no words. Just slowly making our way through coffee.

…

…

I eventually spoke up.

“… Should we do what we did last time? A prayer for Tae and Airou?” I asked.

“You want us to pray for **Airou?** ” Hisoka frowned.

“Look, I know he wasn’t the best of people, and he killed Tae. But… he’s still our classmate. Doesn’t he at least deserve a sendoff?” I said.

“We may as well,” Delawyn said.

“You want to as well?” Kadiri shook her head.

“If you don’t want to, you can leave. I let him do the same,” Delawyn said.

 

…

None of us moved.

“Then… should we all hold hands again?” I asked.

We didn’t say anything, but slowly grabbed the hands of the persons beside us. Both Delawyn and Hisoka… Both had nice hands. Hisoka’s felt smooth, and Delawyn’s felt warm.

Kokuro closed her eyes, but still spoke. “What are we gonna do if Monokuma shows up again?”

“What can we do, except listen?” Dai replied.

“Bloody hell… Better hope I don’t commit the next murder,” Kokuro said.

 

The rest of us closed our eyes, as Delawyn began to speak.

“… Tae Kawada, and Airou Himura. Two more of our classmates, taken before their times. May they find peace, wherever they are now.”

We slowly opened our eyes…

 

… No Monokuma in sight.

“Thank fuck.” Kadiri leaned back in her chair.

“Yeah…” Hiroshi said, taking another sip of coffee.

“What should we do now?” I asked.

“Go about our day as usual, I believe.” Korin smiled.

“Sounds good to me!” Hisoka stood up.

“Yeah… I’m gonna spend the rest of the day in Tae’s lab.” Aeko also stood up. “Looking at her recipes and stuff like that, y’know?”

“That’s creepy, but I guess it’s also noble,” Kokuro said.

Aeko pouted. “I don’t care if you think it’s creepy.”

With that, Aeko left the dining hall.

 

I’d barely pushed myself out of my seat before I heard Aeko shouting on the other side of the door.

As I pushed myself to my feet, Hisoka rushed over and pulled the door open.

“Oh- fuck you!” Hisoka shouted, as the rest of us stood up.

Monokuma, of course, stood at the door.

 

“Aww, I’ve been taking care of you kids for nearly a week now, and this is the thank you I get?” Monokuma said.

“You’ve been _holding us captive_ for nearly a week, thanks,” Kokuro said.

“You’re welcome!” Monokuma said.

“Bloody hell- no,” Kokuro said.

“Aw… but as for why I’m here, I’m here to present to you a gift!” Monokuma announced.

“Let me guess- another floor for us to explore,” Dai said.

“Yep, yep! She wins the gold!” Monokuma said. “The Kibou-Rehabiri Institute’s third floor is now open for business!”

 “… Groups of three again, I think would be best for exploration,” Delawyn said.

“Very well. How about I accompany you two?” Korin placed an arm around Seiryo’s shoulder and his other hand on Kenji's shoulder.

“I can’t even get to the second floor, let alone the third. Guess there’s still no chance of a fucking wheelchair ramp…” Kenji lamented.

“Keep your seat on, I’m workin’ on it!” Monokuma replied.

“Why are you still here?” Seiryo asked.

“Good point! I’ll see you bastards later!” And with that, Monokuma disappeared.

 

Satoko glanced away, retreating into the corner.

“… Do you just want to rest in your room, Satoko? I can fill you in later if you like,” Korin asked.

Satoko shook her head.

“Y-You could come with us, Satoko, if you wanted,” Hiroshi offered.

Satoko… instead, walked up to me, though kept her distance.

Delawyn sighed. “Hisoka, maybe you could accompany Hiroshi this time?”

“Uh… sure?” Hisoka said.

“Okay, and I’ll be going with them!” Aeko announced.

 “So that leaves me with Kokuro and Kadiri…” Dai mused.

“Alright, all the groups are set! Let’s go!” I said.

 

Nine of the twelve of us arrived on the second floor before the other three – Korin, Kenji, and Seiryo’s group wound up having to carry Kenji’s wheelchair up the staircase. A single glance at Kenji’s scowling face told the entire story of how he felt about the situation.

“So, this is what the deaths of our classmates got us?” Kokuro said.

The hallway stretched out in front of us, with another handrail gap in the floor ahead. Seiryo walked over to it, and glanced over it.

“… It’s directly above the one on the second floor,” Seiryo reported.

“Doesn’t that seem dangerous? I mean, if you tripped and fell over the handrailings-“ Aeko began.

“You would most definitely hurt yourself, and suffer brain damage, but I don’t think the fall is certain death yet,” Delawyn said. “If the same railing setup is on the next floor, though…”

“There is a very good chance that someone who falls that far will die,” Seiryo said. “And though the fall wouldn’t be certainly fatal yet, be careful around the railings.”

“Y-Yeah, especially if you’re tall.” Hiroshi pushed his fingers together.

Seiryo chuckled. “I think I’m the tallest one here.”

“Alright, let’s go look around! Off we go!” Aeko said.

 

Soon, all the other 3 groups had taken off to go exploring, leaving me, Delawyn, and Satoko in the hallway.

“So… how should we go about this?” I asked.

“… Left to right, I think. The rooms appear to surround the hallway like they did on the second floor,” Delawyn said.

Satoko shook her head rapidly, before gesturing right-to-left, instead.

“Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter,” Delawyn said. “Let’s start exploring.”

 

We entered the first room on the right, and saw a locker room of sorts on the other side. A bit like the ones at the pool, but… well, all the towels were white. There were also two other doors, leading to other rooms.

“... I’ll check the right door. You check the left one, Maemi. And Satoko, either follow one of us or stay close,” Delawyn instructed.

I nodded, turning the handle down and pushing open the door on the right. On the other side, I saw wooden panelling, wooden benches, and a coalbox… Must be a sauna.

I heard a knock nearby, and looked up to see Satoko pointing inside the sauna.

“Oh, it’s a sauna,” I said, matter-of-factly.

Satoko pushed her fingers together, before separating her hands visibly. It took me a moment, but… it finally clicked.

“Oh, you wanna look, but I’m in the way…” I let go of the door and backed off. “Go ahead!”

Satoko nodded, before walking past me and looking inside. She turned back to me, before nodding.

As she did, Delawyn came out of the other room.

“There’s a bathhouse here. I heard you call that room a sauna, so I won’t ask,” Delawyn said.

“Ah, that’s good. I’d love to be able to take a bath,” I said. Both Satoko and Delawyn frowned at me.

“… You haven’t been showering?” Delawyn asked.

“O-Of course I’ve been showering!” I stammered. “I just meant it’d be nice to relax and take a bath in there.”

“That’s understandable… my apologies,” Delawyn said. “But I think that’s this room checked. Let’s move onto the next.”

“Yeah, let’s,” I said.

 

We headed out of the locker rooms and down the hallway. I grabbed the handle of the next room and turned…

“… Huh? Locked?” I said.

“BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! Access denied!” I heard an unfortunately familiar voice say, before Monokuma popped up in the gap between me and the door.

“Access denied? But I thought we were free to explore the institute as we wanted?” I asked.

“Yep, yep! You are allowed almost anywhere in the institute, but the labs of dead students are off limits to everyone e- Everyone!”

Delawyn pushed me aside. “ **Everyone except _who?_** ”

“Oh no, I let too much slip! Woe is me! Mother of mercy, is this the end of Monokuma?” Monokuma lamented. “Well, anyway, you can’t go into Mokichi’s lab. Maybe if he lived, you could’ve… but oh well. Now I gotta scram, I got nine other kids to babysit! Being the single kuma of twelve kids is hard! Which is why I enjoy class trials so much!”

Monokuma ran off, and I exchanged glances with Delawyn. We were both thinking the same thing.

_Everyone except the Mastermind._

“Well… if we can’t enter the lab, we can’t enter the lab,” Delawyn traced the small window granting a small glance into the room with her finger, before shaking her head. “Let’s just move on.”

 

We moved on to the room directly next door, and thankfully, this one actually opened.

Inside, I saw three rows of two desks each, with a computer on all of them. On the back wall was a medium-sized screen, and to my left was a large CD rack.

Dai, Kokuro, and Kadiri also stood inside.

“Bloody hell, this screen’s huge…” Kokuro said.

“Huh? I didn’t think it was that big…” I said.

“Not that one, goddamnit! Come here.” Kokuro gestured for me to come over. I did as she asked, and she pointed towards the right wall. Along the right wall, in a slight inset and not visible from the entrance… was a TV that took up the entire inset of the wall, from ceiling to floor.

“G-Geez! That is big…” I said.

“Yeah. Dunno why Monokuma gave us a screen that big,” Kokuro said. “You think he’s compensating for something?”

“… I really don’t want to think about that,” I said.

“What, Monokuma’s-“

I cut Kokuro off. “Yes, _that!_ ”

“We’re not little kids anymore, we can say dick,” Kadiri said.

“That’s not the point! I don’t want to think about Monokuma’s penis!” I blurted out.

“Most of us don’t. Let’s change the subject,” Delawyn said, seated at one of the computers. “Have you found anything that could help us understand the situation?”

“I thought figuring this situation out was what you decided to do,” Dai said.

“It is, but it doesn’t hurt to ask if you found anything,” Delawyn said.

“Then… unfortunately, no. I will keep an eye out for anything, though,” Dai said.

“Thank you,” Delawyn said.

“What about you? Do those computers-“ Kadiri started, but Delawyn cut her off

“Connect to the outside world? With a wireless modem, they might’ve been able to connect to the outside world. Unfortunately, I don’t think Monokuma would be so generous.” Delawyn paused for a moment. “… The computers do connect to a local network, though.”

“What’s on the local network?” I asked.

“As far as I can tell? Former patients here. Too many to count,” Delawyn said.

“This place has been abandoned for years, these things probably would’ve had glass screens and run Windows XP had Monokuma not intervened, and yet the files of the patients are still on the servers?”

“We’re talking Monokuma, here.” Delawyn stood up from the computer. “I don’t think we have any more business in this room, though.”

Satoko was the first to head out the door, and both Delawyn and I followed her.

 

We went to the room directly across the hall from the stairwell. The room had two doors – we entered from the one on the right.

There was a gym inside. Treadmills, bench presses, exercise bikes, yoga mats, a first-aid kit in a cabinet on the left wall – pretty much a standard gym like one might see in the city.

Korin, Kenji, and Seiryo were also inside.

“… be interesting to see you use some of the equipment in here,” I caught the tail end of Korin’s sentence.

“I can barely get up the damn staircase without help… let alone do proper workouts,” Kenji replied.

“To my understanding, Monokuma said earlier he was working on a wheelchair access to help you,” Seiryo said.

“Maybe… but if I die, that’s pointless,” Kenji said.

“Who’d try and kill you?” Korin asked.

“I’m in a fucking wheelchair. Who wouldn’t,” Kenji replied.

“You’re also probably the strongest of us here,” I said.

“Bweh… maybe, but all it takes is one of you sneaking up on me and I’ve got no hope,” Kenji said.

“Kenji… I know this may be difficult given how you view the situation, and the fact that you’re showing early warning signs of depression,” Seiryo said. “But your wheelchair isn’t a restriction, even if it seems like one right now. If Monokuma is putting in access for you, then you won’t be restricted to just the first floor – you’ll be able to go wherever you like.”

“What’s your point…?” Kenji asked.

“Once that goes in, I’d like you to start coming here. Maybe also to your lab, if it’s here. I think a return to your exercise routines would benefit both your physical and mental health,” Seiryo said.

“I’d be willing to help you, too,” Korin said. “You’re a well-built young man, and I’d love to assist you.”

“… You’re playing for the other team, aren’t you,” Kenji said.

Korin gave a bitter smile. “And if I am?”

“I didn’t say there was anything wrong with that,” Kenji said. He mumbled something else under his breath, but none of us managed to catch it.

“I don’t tend to play, if you get what I mean,” Seiryo said.

“… I don’t see much else we can do here,” Delawyn said.

“Yeah,” I agreed.

Delawyn headed out of the room. Satoko gave her brother a brief hug before following her out, and I followed Satoko out.

 

We headed to the next room, tucked away in the corner.

Satoko opened the door, before immediately closing it again.

“Huh? Something wrong, Satoko?” I asked.

Satoko gestured to Delawyn, before backing away from the door. Wordlessly, Delawyn walked inside. I decided to follow her in.

Inside, I saw… various weapons across the walls. Sniper rifles, handguns, combat knives, bowie knives, tantos – just to name what I knew I could put a label to.

“… Must be my lab,” Delawyn said, before sighing.

“T-The guns can’t seriously be loaded with ammunition, can they?” I asked.

“They wouldn’t be loaded now, that would mean anybody could come in and accidentally shoot themselves or someone else whenever they want. But…” Delawyn opened a draw, before placing a box of bullets on the table. “As I thought. There is ammunition here.”

“T-Then should we-“ I began.

“I doubt anyone here but me knows how to load and shoot a gun properly,” Delawyn cut me off.

“… Fair enough, I don’t know either,” I said.

“I don’t think I can block it off, either. Unlike the torture chamber, which opened outwards, this one opens inwards. If I blocked it, I’d have to block it from the inside, and I’d need to be in my lab to do that,” Delawyn said. “It won’t all fit in my room, either.”

“So… then there’s no choice but to leave it?” I asked.

“There’s no choice but to leave it. I already sealed the torture chamber tight,” Delawyn said. “… And I can’t exactly force people to stay out of my lab. For now, let’s just go.”

 

I walked over to the room directly next door, and found… a lot of plants. The room had flower pots on the floor, along the walls, and on the ceiling. Ivy and rose vines grew all over the room. In any other place, I probably would’ve taken it as just a room that was overgrown, but here…

“… This is probably Hiroshi’s lab, right?” I said.

Satoko nodded in agreement.

“There are even little greenhouses here,” Delawyn said, venturing towards one – they were about the size of a dollhouse.

“That’s so cute!” I said. “Though… there’s probably not much for us here.”

“That’s true. There’s one more room we need to explore…” Delawyn said, before heading out. “C’mon, then we can regroup.”

 

The three of us headed into the last room, the one closest to the left. As I opened the door, I saw…

… lots and lots of fish.

There were large fish tanks all over the walls, and one in the centre of the room – a perfect cylinder, reaching up to the ceiling. There was a ladder, and several shelves full of fish food and filter cleaner.

Hisoka, Hiroshi, and a very excited Aeko were also inside.

“I can’t believe it! There’s so many cute fish!” Aeko exclaimed. “Look at them!”

“They’re very cute!” Hiroshi agreed.

I chuckled a little. “Yeah, they’re really cute!”

“I know, I know!” Aeko said. “But when was the last time they were fed? Gosh, you guys probably haven’t eaten in ages!”

Aeko walked over to the shelves of fish food, grabbing one of the cans and taking a look.

“Hm… Wow, this is actually pretty good quality fish food.” Aeko brought the can over to the central tank, climbed up the ladder, and started emptying the contents in. The fish started to crowd around the flakes, and around Aeko.

She started making really cute fish noises, but as I don’t speak fish, I didn’t understand her. I could probably take a guess what she was saying to them, though.

“Oh, Hiroshi, have you seen your lab yet?” I asked.

“Yeah, I have! There’s a beehive at the back of the room and a sun-mimicking lamp in the ceiling. Though that’s still not as good as the real sun…” Hiroshi replied.

“Yeah… I hope we get to see a real sun again soon,” I said.

Hiroshi nodded in agreement.

I turned my head to see Delawyn and Hisoka in conversation, and after giving a glance to the other three as Hiroshi started waving to the fish, I walked over to them as well.

“… haven’t seen anything,” Hisoka said.

“Damnit… and we’ve actually been keeping lookout,” Delawyn said.

“Does he know about the locked lab?” I asked. “Mokichi’s, I mean.”

“Yeah, Monokuma ran up to us and told us nobody was allowed in,” Hisoka said.

“He told us something different, kind of,” Delawyn said.

“Er… more accurately, he nearly told us something different,” I corrected.

“Everybody except the mastermind,” Delawyn said.

“Everyone but the mastermind? Though I can’t see any reason for the mastermind to go into Mokichi’s lab…” Hisoka said.

“Me neither… Is it really any help?” I asked.

“Anything could be.” Delawyn shot a glance over at Aeko, Satoko, and Hiroshi. “… We should head to the dining hall, at any rate, and share what we found.”

“Alright, let’s go,” Hisoka said.

 

We headed back down the stairs, taking a seat at the table. We were the first ones there.

The three of us were silent, though. I didn’t know what to say – what I could say. I had nothing to report to just Delawyn and Hisoka that we hadn’t already covered.

So I just sat there, and blankly stared at both of them. And the more I stared, the more I found myself drawn to their features. Of the two… Delawyn’s drew me in more. When those emerald green eyes weren’t staring into my soul with fury… they were absolutely beautiful. And the way that her curly hair and those dark freckles framed her pretty face-

“Hello! Earth calling Maemi,” I heard Kadiri’s voice snap me out of trance.

“Huh- oh, sorry! Um, everyone’s back now, right?” I said.

“… We’ve been discussing what we found on the third floor for the past three minutes or so,” Seiryo said.

“S-Sorry, I zoned out,” I said.

“Nothing to be ashamed of. Anyway, we were discussing the locked room…” Delawyn said.

“Oh, right! We went up to the door, and while we could see inside and see it was Mokichi’s lab, we weren’t actually allowed inside,” I said.

“There’s also an A/V room next door with a massive TV on the righthand wall. Bloody swear, a single pixel’s gotta be the size of a maki roll,” Kokuro said.

“Did you actually check?” Korin asked.

“Nope, making a guess,” Kokuro said.

“What would she watch? The whole rack of CDs was probably just cheap junk Monokuma brought in,” Kadiri said.

“I might go up and check it out later,” Delawyn said.

“The last thing we found was a bathhouse,” Hisoka said. “Though I prefer showers anyway.”

“I’d like to take a bath in there sometime, honestly…” I said. “There was also a sauna to the left of the actual bath, in a separate room, and both are separate to the entrance, which is a locker room.”

“Well, with that, I think that’s everything discussed.” Seiryo clapped his hands together, though gentle with the noise.

“So, we can go now, right?” Kenji asked.

“We don’t have anything else to discuss, do we?” Delawyn asked.

The twelve of us remained silent.

“Then… let’s go.” Delawyn stood up from the table and headed out the door.

One by one, everyone else followed her… and at last, I stood up and left the dining hall too.

I decided I should go find somebody to spend some time with…

 

I went up the stairs to the third floor and found Seiryo hanging out in the A/V room.

“Wonder if there’s anything useful here…” Seiryo said, going through the CD rack in the corner.

“Hey, Seiryo, do you wanna hang out?” I asked.

“Sure. Maybe you can help find something leading towards the mastermind, or even just something to our situation,” Seiryo replied.

 

I spent some time looking through the CD racks with Seiryo…

 

It seems me and Seiryo got a little closer today.

 

“So, I hope you didn’t come just to list off random talents to me again,” Seiryo said.

“Er, no. I wanted to know more about what you _do_ remember,” I said. “You must’ve had hobbies…”

“Hm… Computer games are entertaining,” Seiryo replied. “I can spend hours in simulation games. I also enjoy playing piano, and bowling, though I don’t get to go often despite living in Inazawa.”

“I’ve tried bowling, but I was never any good,” I said. “I’ve missed completely with the bumpers up.”

“It’s not something I think of competitively. So long as you’re having fun, that’s what’s important,” Seiryo said. He paused for a moment. “What about you? You’ve got to have hobbies outside shadow puppeteering.”

“Oh, uh… I like baking, I guess, and… reading and watching movies.” I gave a nervous laugh. “I never really got the hang of video games…”

“That’s understandable. If we do find common ground with hobbies, I would like to spend more time with you,” Seiryo said.

“Yeah, me too!” I said.

The two of us were silent, and despite getting closer, it still felt… awkward. To me, at least. I kept pushing down the obvious question, and the obvious next course of action – Seiryo would just hate me if I did.

“… Did any movies stand out to you as a kid?” Seiryo asked.

“Oh, uh… well, Kadiri started her work as a child actress, and I watched a lot of her movies,” I said. “And though it’s not really a movie but a kid’s TV series, but Kage the Shadow Master was a huge part of my childhood.”

“I vaguely remember that, but I can’t place my finger on it exactly…” Seiryo said.

“Oh! Uh, it was about a wizard who could make shadow puppets on the wall with his hands, and they’d come to life and help him on adventures!” I said.

Seiryo laughed. “Right, right. Now I remember.”

I laughed as well, albeit nervously. “Yeah, I know, I’m getting sentimental and excited about a kid’s show…”

“Well, if it’s that important to you, then I see no harm in it,” Seiryo said.

 

We continued searching through the CD racks for a bit, before we parted ways.

 

I still had a little more time today, so I decided to go wandering around again. I went back downstairs and headed into the library, before seeing Kenji with his nose buried in a book from the fiction shelves.

He was quiet as I approached, absorbed in the book.

“Uh… Kenji, do you wanna hang out?” I asked.

“… Sure, I guess,” Kenji said.

 

I grabbed a fiction book off the shelves and started absentmindedly reading with Kenji…

 

I think Kenji and I got a little closer today.

 

“… Uh, this is probably really insensitive, but… what kind of acc-“ I began.

“Some stupid driver wasn’t looking where they were going, ran a red light, and crashed straight into me, and then a fucking brick wall,” Kenji said. “… Doctors said I was lucky to be alive.”

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked…” I said.

“Bweh… it was bound to come up eventually,” Kenji said. “Hospital spent two months trying to repair my legs before they just gave up and saying that they’d have to amputate them. Still don’t know why I got accepted into Hope’s Peak after that.”

“Well, Hope’s Peak recognises talent, and if they recognised me as having talent, I can’t see why they wouldn’t recognise you. Besides, basketball isn’t all about the legs… I mean, there’s several teams that are entirely in wheelchairs, aren’t there?” I asked.

“I know that, but I was being considered for Alvark Tokyo… and when you live in Kudamatsu, that’s one hell of a consideration,” Kenji said. “Dunno of many big-league basketball teams that play in wheelchairs.”

“There’s gotta be at least one team you can play in,” I said.

“Bunch of therapists said I should try out for the National Wheelchair Basketball Team, but… bweh. I don’t have the enthusiasm for it anymore,” Kenji said.

“I’m really sorry to hear that…” I said. “What do you have enthusiasm for?”

Kenji was silent.

“… Kenji, there’s gotta be something-“

“Nope,” Kenji replied. “I’m just another sob story of a kid whose dreams got shattered by some careless adult.”

 

Before I could say anything else, Kenji wheeled himself out… I decided that that was probably the end of the conversation.

 

The monitor above me flickered to life, and once again I saw Monokuma present on the monitor.

“Attention all lunatics: it is now 10pm,” He began. “It is now officially nighttime. The doors to the cafeteria and dining hall will lock shortly. Please, all of you have pleasant dreams, and we’ll see each other tomorrow morning!” The monitors shut off.

 

So, it was nighttime again…

I decided that should probably meet up with Seiryo again. The exercises he gave me helped a lot so far...

I walked up to Seiryo’s door and rang the doorbell.

After a moment, he opened the door and walked out.

“Ah, evening, Maemi…” He said.

“Evening, Seiryo…” I replied. “Um, are we supposed to repeat those exercises every night?”

“I think doing them often is going to help, but I would like you to try on your own for tonight, if that’s okay. You can tell me how you went tomorrow, and I’ll determine how often you’ll need my help,” Seiryo said.

“Okay…” I said. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”

Seiryo smiled. “See you tomorrow.”

 

The door shut calmly in front of me, and I turned around and headed back to my room.

 I sat down on my bed and tried to focus on my breathing.

In four seconds, hold four seconds, out four seconds.

In four seconds, hold four seconds, out four seconds.

In four seconds…

Out four seconds.

I lost focus on my breathing, and it returned to its normal rate.

I blew out my cheeks, before trying again…

 

… I kept trying for about an hour, but while focusing and just for practice… I couldn’t get it right.

Sighing, I decided to just abandon it for the night and tell Seiryo it went badly tomorrow.

I let down my hair, got into my pyjamas, and wrapped myself in my blankets.

**[MONOKUMA THEATRE]**

“Have you ever gone camping in the wilderness?”

“Y’know, sat by a lake with a fishing rod and without a care in the world?”

“Sleeping in a tent as rain pounds outside?”

“Though they always say don’t have picnics.”

“Bears tend to steal the baskets.”

“But not me. I’m sure to kill the owners first.”

“It’s not stealing if they’re dead.”

“… On a tangent, I wonder how long someone has to be dead for it to be considered archaeology instead of graverobbing.”

**[MONOKUMA THEATRE]**

“Ahem- attention, all lunatics! It is now 7am! The cafeteria and dining hall have been unlocked,” Monokuma announced. “Please, let’s all have a wonderful day together!” The monitors shut off as Monokuma finished his morning announcement.

 

Groaning, I slowly pulled myself out of bed, and got ready for the day. Hair up, clothes on. Things that were almost mechanical to me by this point in my life.

If… everything kept going as usual, then… the motive would be given today.

Could… Could I really accept that there was nothing I could do? Was there really nothing I could do?

I finished getting ready and started heading to breakfast. I reached out for the doorknob, only to hear my doorbell ring. Confused, I opened the door.

Hisoka stood on the other side.

“Morning, Maemi…” Hisoka said.

“Ah, morning, Hisoka! Sorry, we haven’t been talking much recently…” I said.

“It’s alright. Can’t say I don’t miss it, though,” Hisoka said.

“Yeah, me too. Though you probably have a reason for ringing my doorbell…” I said.

“Yeah, though the reason isn’t super important,” Hisoka said. “Just thought you might want to walk to breakfast together.”

“Sure thing!” I said.

 

We walked at a slow pace, especially considering the fact that the kitchen wasn’t far from the dormitories. Walking with Hisoka to breakfast was nice… it was something I hadn’t done in a while, and I really had missed his company.

I missed him, even though we’d never really separated. And… there was just something about him that I found… I didn’t know the words for it. It was a good thing, I think. His carefree attitude, and there was just something about the way his face lit up when he smiled…

“So… uh, I’ve noticed you’ve been hanging out with Seiryo recently,” Hisoka said, snapping me back to reality.

“I have,” I said. “Why are you pointing this out?”

“I won’t deny I’m curious what you two are doing together…” Hisoka said.

It… probably wouldn’t hurt to tell him the truth.

“Um… he was helping me with breathing exercises,” I said.

“Huh? You’re having trouble breathing?” Hisoka asked.

“N-Not exactly, it’s… you can’t tell anybody,” I said. “I’ve got an anxiety disorder, which is why I’ve been breaking down at trials.”

“Oh, I see… that explains a lot,” Hisoka said. “You going to be okay?”

“I developed it when I was in junior high, and it’s not something that’ll just go away. But I think I’m managing,” I said. I noticed the doors coming up, so I decided to change the subject. “What foods do you like?”

“That’s-“ Hisoka started, noticing my off-topic question, but as soon as he pushed open the door, he realised why. “Well… gyoza’s nice.”

 

Aeko frowned, putting her hands on her hips. “Well, the best I can do is a grilled ham sandwich.”

“Oh, I didn’t mean I wanted it now! Uh, Maemi asked me what foods I liked,” Hisoka said.

“Teehee. I know, I’m just teasing. Though I’m serious when I say I can’t make gyoza…” Aeko said.

“Breakfast this morning is cereal. I can’t say I don’t appreciate the effort, but it’s bloody cereal,” Kokuro said.

Everyone was already at the table, with almost everyone around the communal table and with Korin and Satoko slightly off to the side at a single table.

Aeko pouted. “I know it’s cereal! But soon, I’ll learn to cook pancakes, and waffles, and make proper coffee, and all that stuff! I just… can’t just master that overnight!”

“That’s true, but are you sure you don’t want any help?” Dai said.

“Tae didn’t need help, so I’ll try to do it myself, too,” Aeko said. “I do appreciate the offer, though!”

“Don’t know about you,” a very unwelcome voice piped up, “But I think that the cereal’s delicious!”

 

Monokuma was seated in the corner, a bowl of cereal in his paws.

“You weinerhole! I didn’t invite you here!” Aeko said.

“I’ve been called a lot of nasty names in my time, but weinerhole’s a new one,” Monokuma replied.

“Just shut up, take the bowl, and go away,” I said. “I know you’re just here to present whatever sick motive you prepared next. We don’t want whatever you have to offer us.”

“Oh? Even if I were to offer you freedom?” Monokuma replied.

“You already offered us that in exchange for killing our classmates in cold blood!” I said.

“Let me rephrase that, then. Even if I were to offer you freedom without you having to kill somebody?” Monokuma said.

Delawyn glared daggers into Monokuma. “If you’re not going to go away, then spit whatever you’re going to say out.”

“Delawyn, we can’t-“

I was cut off by Monokuma. “Why, certainly! Yes, yes, for a limited time, you can escape without committing murder!”

“There’s a catch to this, isn’t there?” Aeko said.

“A catch? No, no. Unless you count being chosen to escape alongside the culprit as a catch,” Monokuma said.

“What the fuck does that mean?” Hisoka asked.

“Geez, fine, I’ll be blunt! If you kill someone and don’t get caught at the next class trial, you can pick one person to escape with you while everyone else is executed! There, you happy?” Monokuma said.

 

One more person could escape…?

My face went pale, and I broke into a cold sweat.

This motive wasn’t like the other two – lives to go back to, or memories of the Tragedy.

It was the kind of motive that would appeal to empathy for other classmates, rather than just someone’s selfishness for those in their own lives…

How could I ever convince myself someone wouldn’t kill? I wasn’t even sure if I could resist this motive…

… No, I couldn’t think like that! If I thought like that, and…

… if I **killed** someone…

 

I slowly glanced around, hoping I wasn’t the only one with this reaction. I couldn’t be, surely.

And… I wasn’t.

Hisoka was also freaked out.

But… I didn’t understand. Everyone else seemed indifferent or only as horrified as they had at the last 2 motives, at least on the outside…

“Well, there’s your new motive! Now, happy killing!” Monokuma said.

“Wait, I seem to recall you saying something earlier. When you handed out the last motive,” Dai said.

“Oh? What did I say?” Monokuma asked.

“You said you would restore the memories of whoever passed the next class trial. Obviously, Airou, the culprit, failed the trial – so safe to say, us innocents passed,” Dai said.

“Yep, yep! And I will restore your memories!” Monokuma said, before chuckling. “Upupu… I just didn’t say _when_ I’d restore your memories.”

“Figures there’d be a bloody catch,” Kokuro said.

“Well, that’s all I have to say! See you bastards later!” Monokuma disappeared.

 

“… You two don’t look well,” Seiryo observed.

I didn’t reply. I just glanced at everyone else.

“Huh. After all that talk about getting us to rally together and never give in to Monokuma’s wishes, you’ve got this look in your eyes that says you’re horrified with yourself,” Kadiri said. “Hisoka does, too.”

“I… I won’t kill anybody! It was only for a moment-“

I was cut off by Dai. “It only takes a moment.”

“Huh?” I said, aware I was backing away and wiping beads of cold sweat from my forehead.

“I mean only what I said. Though I doubt you’d try to murder anybody, there’s no denying that there was one moment in Kinzo and Airou’s lives where they thought about committing murder,” Dai said.

“… You’re confusing the thought with the action,” Delawyn said. “Most of us have thought about killing at least once in this situation, and I don’t want you to act like you’re innocent. Kinzo and Airou were different in that they actually carried their murders out.”

“So, you’re just going to blindly believe they won’t kill someone?” Kokuro asked.

“I’m not going to… I won’t!” Hisoka protested, but his voice wavered.

“… Quite frankly? I don’t think someone as soft as Maemi or as simple-minded as Hisoka would attempt murder,” Delawyn said.

“Hey- simple-minded?” Hisoka protested.

“Case in point,” Delawyn said.

“The ones you trust most can be the ones that stab you in the back,” Korin said.

“Maybe, but quite frankly, I’d peg several other people here for committing murder before Maemi or Hisoka,” Delawyn said.

“God, the motive’s making us all paranoid!” Aeko said. “Look, how about I just make us some hot chocolate for now and we can forget that the motive was ever given out?”

“Y-Yeah, I think that’d be… good,” Hisoka said, settling back into his seat.

 

Aeko ducked back into the kitchen, with Hiroshi following her in to help. I sat down next to Hisoka, trying to put the motive out of my mind.

It… wasn’t easy. I’d been pushing for everyone to rally together against Monokuma, and then…

God, who **would** trust me after that?

I glanced over at Hisoka for a moment, and our eyes met. And… without saying anything, I could tell he had thought of the same thing.

I felt a hand brush against my own and looked over to see Delawyn sitting across from me and Hisoka, each of her hands on one of ours.

“Look… both of you. I don’t want either of you to realise the horrific reality that is my field of work. I don’t hate you for thinking of it, and if I offended you with my earlier statements, I want to apologise,” Delawyn said. “But I don’t want you to give up faith in the group, or in yourselves, and above all… don’t give in to Monokuma’s wishes.”

I gave a weak smile, and Delawyn, to my surprise, offered one of her own. I felt my heart beat just that little bit faster as her cheeks upturned – but it wasn’t the heavy-set, horrific pounding of an anxiety attack. It felt so, so much better than that.

I… was a little scared to admit it, but I think that I’d-

 

“I’m back!” Aeko announced, her hands carrying a tray with 6 cups of hot chocolate on it. Hiroshi was carrying the other one, with another 6 cups on it.

Within moments, we all had a warm cup in our hands. Aeko placed her cup on the table and clapped her hands together.

“Okay, now we can forget this motive ever happened!” She sat down and took the cup in her hands.

“How about we make a promise?” I offered.

“A promise?” Korin asked.

“Yeah. We won’t let the motive get to us,” I said.

“You nearly did,” Kokuro said.

I pouted. “I know that, but I didn’t. I couldn’t kill any of you, and I can’t stress that enough. I want us all to promise right now that no matter how many people Monokuma would let leave if one of us killed another, that we won’t do it.”

“You’ve already said that a thousand times before…” Kenji said. “And every time, you’ve been wrong. What makes you think this time’ll be any different?”

“I haven’t killed anybody, and I can’t outright stop everyone from committing murder by waving my hands and casting some spell. But… I don’t want to give up on myself, or on you guys,” I said.

“Can’t hurt to make the promise, I suppose,” Dai said.

“Y-Yeah. I’ll join in, too,” Hisoka said.

“Sure, at least for this circumstance,” Delawyn said.

“Yeah! I won’t give up on you guys, either!” Aeko said.

“Me neither! Though I don’t think I could ever murder somebody at all …” Hiroshi said.

I glanced over as Satoko nodded her head.

“Well, if Satoko’s willing to make the promise…” Korin said.

“Bloody hell… this blind optimism makes me sick, but I don’t like the alternative, either,” Kokuro said.

“I don’t plan to kill either, so I’ll join in,” Seiryo said.

“Bweh… I can’t kill without it being obvious it’s me, and I don’t wanna, either,” Kenji said.

“I guess that leaves me… Sure. I’ll make the promise, too,” Kadiri said with a smile.

“Okay, that’s all of us! Now, swear you won’t commit murder,” I instructed. I felt… overjoyed by just how quickly I got everyone to do this.

In unison, we all made our promise.

“We won’t commit murder again.”

 

But whether that promise would be broken… was another story.

 

We finished our hot chocolate, and headed our separate ways.

 

I still had the whole day ahead of me… I wandered around the first floor for a bit, before deciding I should probably go spend some time with the others.

 

I wandered up to the third floor and headed straight for my left. Unsurprisingly, I found Aeko inside of her lab.

“Fishies, fishies, fishies… Aaw, you’re all so cute!” I heard Aeko say.

“Hey, Aeko, do you want to hang out for a while?” I asked.

“Sure, sure! I’ll introduce you to all the fish! I’ve already got names for them all, see?” Aeko said.

 

I spent time listening to Aeko list off a bunch of names for the fish, which unfortunately went in one ear and out the other…

 

I think me and Aeko got a little closer today.

 

“Maemi!” Aeko said. “Do you wanna hear a story?”

“Uh, sure!” I replied.

“Okay! This happened about two years ago at my aquarium. We were about six months in past the opening, and – you know those big underwater tunnels?” Aeko asked.

I… kind of do?

 

[The subway]

  * [Glass tube]



[Shark metro]

 

“It’s a glass tube that you go through, right? Under a big tank with all the fish in them?” I said.

“Yeah, that’s right!” Aeko replied. “We made an underwater tunnel for some nurse sharks we had, and… kinda forgot the glass had to be thicker than fifteen centimetres.”

That… can’t be good.

“What happened?” I asked.

“It wasn’t the water pressure or anything, but two sharks were playfully fighting in the tank, and then one got a little too rough with the other,” Aeko said. “Push came to shove, and the shark kind of broke **through** the glass.”

“Isn’t that dangerous?!” I blurted out.

“Yeah, I know, it was dangerous! There was so much broken glass that could’ve hurt the guests or the sharks, and there were little kids down there that could’ve been hurt or drowned!” Aeko replied.

“W-Well, the broken glass is pretty concerning too, but what about the sharks?” I asked.

“Nurse sharks are like big, harmless water puppies, they’re not gonna hurt people,” Aeko said. “Though I get that reaction, considering the crap-ton of money that movies like Jaws made.”

“I see… can’t shake the fear in a couple of days, unfortunately,” I said, chuckling nervously.

“Yeah, I get that too. But if you ever do come to my aquarium, I’ll let you pet them!” Aeko said. “The ones at my aquarium are so tame that they’ll let me swim with them!”

Isn’t that a health code violation…? Aeko’s aquarium sure is strange…

 

We talked a little more, before we parted ways again.

 

I still had a little bit of time today…

 

I went down the stairs, and headed into the recreational room, where I saw Hiroshi standing on a footstool and playing pool with himself.

“I don’t really like the pool table being in here, but I can’t move it out…” Hiroshi muttered to himself.

“Hey, Hiroshi, do you want to spend some time together?” I asked.

“Oh, sure! Uh, do you know how to play?” Hiroshi said.

 

I spent some time playing some heavily modified pool rules with Hiroshi…

 

I think Hiroshi and I got a little closer today.

 

“Hey, uh, Maemi, I’ve been meaning to ask…” Hiroshi began. “What does a shadow puppeteer do?”

“Um, well, my talent is a very niche one… I basically go around and perform shadow puppet shows,” I said. “Though that’s usually just in my local area.”

“I see… Do you use your hands for everything?” Hiroshi asked.

“I use my hands for a lot, but I’ve used paper backdrops on a light as well,” I said. “I’m more curious about your talent, if I’m honest.”

“W-Well, plants produce the oxygen we breathe, and we use them daily, but… I don’t wanna get too boasty about it,” Hiroshi said.

“I see… do you have a favourite plant, Hiroshi?” I asked.

I could see Hiroshi’s eyes light up.

“Oh- uh, it’s a little embarrassing for a boy, but my favourite kind are flowers! I can’t pick a favourite flower, though…” Hiroshi said.

“That’s okay. Do you have a lot of flowers in a garden?” I asked.

“Well, I keep a greenhouse, but yeah, I do!” Hiroshi said. “I keep a lot of flowers in there. Not sakura blossoms, since they’re better off outside, but I keep sunflowers, roses, hydrangeas, and even dandelions in there!”

“Wait, aren’t dandelions a weed?” I said.

“They’re classified as such, but they’re not that bad,” Hiroshi said. “They’ve been made into medicines, teas, dyes, and are actually pretty helpful… we just think they’re weeds because they clash against a green lawn.”

“Oh, I see!” I said.

“Y-Yeah! Do you have a favourite plant?” Hiroshi asked.

“Um… it’s not something I think about much, but sakura blossoms are really pretty… I also like roses, too,” I replied.

“Yeah, they are pretty! Once we get out, I’d love to show you the ones I keep!” Hiroshi said. “U-Um, though only if you wanna.”

“I do want to, Hiroshi,” I said.

 

We talked a little more, before we parted ways.

 

I headed down the staircase, my body feeling strangely tired. I opened the door to my room, offering my phone a brief glance. 9pm… still a little while before the night-time announcement.

I laid down on my bed for just a moment…

… and completely zoned out.

It felt like I couldn’t move. Like something unknown was holding me down.

I tried to keep my breathing slow, and wriggle free…

…

…

… and finally, I did.

I sat up, and took deep breaths, glancing around. Nothing was there…

I felt my heart beat faster as I sat up and glanced at my phone.

11pm… but I could’ve sworn I was only down for a couple of seconds. 

I needed to talk to Seiryo.

 

I pushed myself out of bed, headed out the door, and headed towards Seiryo’s room, knocking on the door.

I waited a few seconds… and there was no answer.

“Huh…? Seiryo…?” I wondered aloud, though I knew he couldn’t hear me through the door.

I knocked again and rang the doorbell.

And… still no response.

“S-Seiryo?! It’s Maemi!” I shouted, knocking on the door, and ringing the doorbell…

… and there was still no response.

 

I backed away from the door. Before I realised where my body was taking me, my hands were knocking on another door. My brain finally caught up, and I realised the plaque on the door was Delawyn’s.

“D-Delawyn?” I asked. I was supposed to be talking with Seiryo… but if he wasn’t answering…

The door opened, revealing Delawyn on the other side.

“Maemi? It’s late. Why are you-“

I regretted doing so, but I cut Delawyn off. “I’m sorry, I’m scared out of my wits right now, can I stay with you for the night?”

… I didn’t even mention why I was scared.

Delawyn paused for a moment, before nodding. “… I don’t see the harm in it.”

 

Delawyn stood away from the door, and I walked into her room. It… wasn’t much different from mine, really. There were a few of the sniper rifles from her lab up against the wall, but that was about it.

That did make me feel concerned, though…

“Where’d the- “

It was Delawyn’s turn to cut me off.

“Cyanide go? It’s in the end table. I don’t expect you to open it, though.” Delawyn’s expression softened. “Now… why are you scared?”

“I… I’m… sorry, I should’ve said this earlier. I’ve got an anxiety disorder,” I said.

“I… kind of figured you had some sort of anxiety disorder. I’ve seen a lot of other assassins contract similar disorders, though depression is more common,” Delawyn said. “But I suspect something set it off.”

“S-S…” I stammered.

“… If it’ll just make you feel worse to put it into words, then you don’t have to tell me,” Delawyn said. “Is there any way I can help you right now?”

I shook my head.

“Okay. I’ll get you some water anyway,” Delawyn said.

 

Delawyn walked to the bathroom, leaving me alone in her room and seated on her bed.

… should I tell her?

Would it hurt either of us if I did?

I wanted to tell her, so badly.

It was too soon. Definitely too soon.

And yet… I didn’t know how much time I would have.

 

Delawyn came back after a moment, but her hands held an empty cup. “The taps aren’t working. They were this morning, so I suspect the water also shuts off at 10pm.”

“That’s alright… I think I’ve calmed down a bit now,” I said. Delawyn sat beside me, and… held onto my wrist.

That… probably wouldn’t help. My heart started beating faster – and both of my emotions started mixing into it. Anxiety, and…

“… You don’t have to lie to make me feel better, Maemi,” Delawyn said.

“I-I…” I stammered.

“… Is there something you want to tell me?” Delawyn asked.

And I just said it, all at once.

“I love you!”

 

Delawyn’s expression turned to one of confusion. “…What?”

“I’ve fallen in love with you, Delawyn…” I said, and that moment of clarity suddenly sent my pulse and breathing into overdrive. Saying something like that, to another girl, and to a student with the title of Ultimate Assassin…

Did… Did I put myself in danger?!

I felt an arm around my shoulders, pulling me into a hug, and I soon heard Delawyn’s voice in my right ear.

“I understand your worry, and I promise you, I won’t hurt you physically over something like this. You’re safe here. But… I’m sorry, Maemi. I don’t feel the same way.”

I felt my heart sink. I wasn’t going to be hurt, and I knew it was unlikely she’d feel the same… but it still hurt emotionally.

“I’m sorry… I should’ve just stayed quiet,” I said.

A moment of silence passed between us.

“…Your pulse is slowing, and you feel a lot calmer… if that’s what was making you anxious, then I am glad that you told me,” Delawyn said. “And if you’re still afraid, you can stay here tonight.”

“Are you sure?” I asked.

Delawyn pulled out of the hug. “I’m sure. I can sleep on the floor.”

“You don’t have to do that-“ I protested.

“I’ve slept on the floor a few times on longer missions,” Delawyn said.

“S-Still, we could share the bed…” I said, before realising the implications, especially considering what I’d just said. “T-Though if you’re uncomfortable, then I’ll-“

“If you’re okay with it, I don’t see the problem in sharing,” Delawyn said. “Though I don’t think my pyjamas will fit you.”

“That’s okay, I’ve slept in my everyday clothing before…” I said. “I’m just glad you don’t hate me.”

“I don’t think a love confession is grounds to hate you,” Delawyn said, taking her jacket off and lying down. “… I feel like I should clarify, though. It’s not because we’re both girls. I just… don’t feel those things towards anybody. Boy, girl, something in-between, I just don’t feel anything like that at all.”

I nod understandingly, taking off my shoes and lying down as well. “It’s alright… I must’ve just absorbed your share of attraction before you were born,” I said, laughing a little.

Delawyn gave a weak smile. “My birthday’s before yours.”

“By less a month!” I pouted jokingly.

We talked like this for a little while longer… it was nice. We could pretend to just be normal teenagers. That I didn’t just blurt out my feelings. That… why couldn’t I tell her the actual reason I came here? I’m worried sick about Seiryo…

Eventually, we started falling asleep. I had more issues with doing so, but Delawyn quickly fell asleep. She had no idea what was about to unfold…

 

**[MONOKUMA THEATRE]**

“Do you ever just get the urge to shake your life up a little?”

“Like, you get bored of something?”

“Maybe you’re in a textiles and home economics degree, and one day, you just decide, ‘I’m gonna go to law school and become a lawyer!’”

“But you know you’ll eventually go back to your home economics degree.”

“There’s just no way to completely shake up your life in an instant.”

“And that’s where mid-life crises come from.”

“Thanks for coming to my TEDTalk!”

“Oh, we don’t do that? Dang.”

**[MONOKUMA THEATRE]**

“…emi. Maemi. Maemi.”

I heard Delawyn’s voice stir me from sleep before the morning announcement did.

“Uh…” I blinked slowly and opened my eyes, getting used to my surroundings… and traced my arm to being wrapped around Delawyn’s shoulders and my leg across both of hers.

“Oh- sorry, sorry! I didn’t even realise-!” I said, quickly letting go as my face turned as red as my hair. As soon as I did, Delawyn stood up and put her jacket on. “Uh, but the-“

“I don’t get up at the morning announcement. I wouldn’t have disturbed you in any other circumstance, but I couldn’t get up without doing so,” Delawyn said.

“Right, right… I’m sorry,” I said.

“It can’t be long to the morning announcement though,” Delawyn said.

“What time is it?” I said, sitting up.

“About 6:45,” Delawyn replied. “Like I said, not long to the morning announcement.”

“I see… Do you usually wait outside the dining hall?” I asked.

“Yes, I do. I’m used to waking up early. Even 6:45 is pretty late,” Delawyn said.

“Okay…” I said. “Should we go together to the dining hall, then?”

“Sure, I don’t see why not,” Delawyn said.

 

We put our shoes on and headed to the dining hall. For a little while, we were the only two there… but soon, Hiroshi, Kokuro, and Dai joined us.

 

“Ahem- attention, all lunatics! It is now 7am! The cafeteria and dining hall have been unlocked,” Monokuma announced. “Please, let’s all have a wonderful day together!” The monitors shut off as Monokuma finished his morning announcement.

 

The dining hall doors unlocked, and we went inside.

We sat down at the table and talked for about ten minutes. Not about anything in particular – just about what classes would’ve been like if we hadn’t been thrown into this situation.

What they probably were like.

 

But after ten minutes, Kokuro decided to voice her observation.

“Where the bloody hell is everyone?” She asked.

“I must admit, we are short on classmates right now…” Dai said.

“Y-You don’t think…” Hiroshi said.

“It isn’t like it hasn’t happened before,” Kokuro said.

“L-Look, nobody’s dead. Let’s split up and go look for everyone. I’ll check the first floor with Kokuro,” I said.

“Bloody hell… didn’t even ask,” Kokuro lamented, but still stood up.

“I’ll check the second floor with Dai,” Delawyn said.

“A-And I’ll check the third floor with- uh… I’ll check the third floor!” Hiroshi said.

 

We split up, and Kokuro and I headed to the dormitories.

“I’ll get the girls up, you get the boys,” Kokuro said.

“Okay,” I said, and the two of us split up.

I started ringing the doorbells of the boys – though I skipped Hiroshi’s, Mokichi’s, Kinzo’s, and Airou’s.

But… only Hisoka and Korin answered the door.

 

“M-Maemi, good morning!” Hisoka stammered… his hair was out of its ponytail again.

“Can’t tie it up again?” I asked.

“Y-Yeah. Really should opt for a different hairtie at this point,” Hisoka said.

“Here, let me help you,” Korin said, before wrapping Hisoka’s hair tie around his hair.

“Thank you,” Hisoka said.

“Alright, you two are okay, but what about Kenji and Seiryo?” I asked.

My train of thought was interrupted when I heard a clapping noise from the other side of the hallway, calling my attention over.

“Bloody hell… I could only get Kadiri to get up and come out of her room,” Kokuro said, Kadiri not far behind her as we gathered together.

“This better be good, I’m still tired…” Kadiri said. “Cute girls like me need their beauty sleep!”

“Sorry, I just got concerned, because so few people turned up to breakfa-“

I was cut off by the monitor switching on.

“Ding-dong-ding-dong! A body has been discovered! Following a brief period of investigation, we shall conduct our Class Trial!”

 

A shocked silence hung in the air for a moment between the five of us.

“A-A body…?!” I stammered, as that moment finally passed.

“W-Where?!” Hisoka said.

As we said that, a pair of light footsteps rushed down the staircase. We turned to their source, to see Hiroshi charging at us. His eyes were in tears and he was breathing heavily.

“H-Hiroshi?” I stammered.

“Third floor! Bathhouse!” He exclaimed.

“G-Got it!” I said, before taking off up the staircase as fast as my legs could carry me. I was vaguely aware of the people behind me, and soon, Hisoka had passed in front of me up the staircase.

I ran across the hall, and burst into the locker room, before feeling my heart seize up. Did… did I want to look? Did I want to see? Could I just pretend the discovery announcement was some huge prank…?

 

No… I couldn’t.

I closed my eyes and threw open the door.

 

 

And when I opened my eyes again…

 

 

 

 

… I… opened… my… eyes… again…

 

 

 

 


	11. Chapter 3: Savior of the Silent, Destroyer of Strength (Deadly Life)

            I blinked as I stared at the bodies in front of me. Hisoka and I both stood in the door. All the blood drained from my face.

Why… why were they both… ?        

Monokuma appeared in front of us, wiping his face with his paws. “And so young, too! Didn’t even finish character development!”

“Why… why would this happen again?” I stammered. “And to- to two people…?”

“Because I handed out a motive, and you guys are easy to manipulate!” Monokuma announced. “Anyway, time for the Monokuma File v3! Check your phones for more info!”

 

I opened my phone. I found the last 2 files for Mokichi and Tae, and the file for Aeko, but…

“… Satoko’s file isn’t here,” I said aloud.

“Huh? Whuzza Satoko?” Monokuma replied.

“The- !!!” I gestured angrily to Satoko’s body, pointing rapidly.

“Oh, that’s a Satoko! But why do you want a Monokuma file for her?” Monokuma asked.

“Because she’s clearly one of the victims!” I said.

“Eh? She doesn’t count as a victim!” Monokuma said.

“What the hell do you _mean,_ she doesn’t count as a victim?” Hisoka said, as Korin, Kokuro, and Kadiri ran into the bathhouse behind us.

“Well, I dunno how you guys would run things, but I’m the one running the show here, and this bear only counts dead bodies as victims!” Monokuma said.

“You only count dead bodies as victims?” I repeated.

“Yep, yep! There was only one body discovery announcement, after all!” Monokuma replied.

And then, it clicked for me.

Satoko…!

 

“Satoko!” I said, rushing past Monokuma and kneeled on the ground beside her. Korin joined me, and I gently shook her shoulders.

“Satoko! Can you hear me? Get up! You’re not dead!” I shouted.

“Satoko!” Korin yelled out as well. “I’m here, it’s okay! You’re okay!”

The rest of the group crowded around us…

 

…

 

… and slowly, Satoko started opening her eyes. I let out a sigh of relief.

“Satoko!” Korin cradled Satoko as she started waking up, gently rocking back and forth. Satoko weakly held onto Korin, and I could see her eyes beginning to water.

“And she’s up! Back in the game! Someone didn’t do a good job on their double murder plot,” Monokuma commented. “But oh well! They got one, and that’s all they need! Well, happy investigating!”

 

As the realisation that Satoko hadn’t died sunk in, I’d collapsed onto the floor next to the bath, and… next to… Aeko’s body. I stared at her, and felt guilty for my relief that only one person was dead. I shouldn’t be relieved.

Aeko… was still dead.  

Biting my lip, I opened my phone again and checked Aeko’s Monokuma file.

_The victim is Aeko Kakatto, the Ultimate Aquarium Curator._

_The time of death was midnight. The body was found at 7:30am._

_Cause of death: slit throat. Victim died instantly._

_There is also a wound in her stomach that missed her vitals. There are some bruises along her body._

_No external chemicals or drugs are present in the victim’s body._

  * **[TRUTH BULLET – MONOKUMA FILE]**



I nodded slowly as I read the file. “More than last time.”

“Won’t be much need for an autopsy, then,” Delawyn said, and I glanced up to see her and Dai standing in the doorway. It… was getting cramped in here, and where were Kenji and Seiryo…?

“Sorry…” I said. “Um, I’ll start investigating here. Maybe some of you could go check and see if Seiryo and Kenji are OK?”

“Sure, I can do that,” Delawyn said, before heading out the door. Hisoka and Kadiri followed her out… I made a mental note to ask the two for their alibis after they came back. 

 

As for me… I didn’t want to do this yet again. But to solve Aeko’s murder and bring her killer to justice… I had to.

 

**_[INVESTIGATION – START!]_ **

 

I suppose the first thing I should do is…

…

I can’t. I can’t investigate Aeko’s body, even now.

Instead, I crawled over to Korin and Satoko to investigate Satoko’s condition.

 

“Are you alright, Satoko?” I asked.

Satoko nodded weakly in response. It was then I noticed something on the right side of her head… 

A fairly big bruise.

I frowned. “Satoko, your head-“

Satoko covered up the bruise with her hand, shaking her head and waving her other hand dismissively.

“You sure you don’t want any ice?” Korin asked.

Once again, Satoko shook her head.

… Her bruise couldn’t be just a coincidence. I think Satoko got attacked by the culprit.

 

  * **TRUTH BULLET – SATOKO’S ATTACK**



 

“Okay… did you see who attacked you, Satoko?” I asked.

Satoko shook her head rapidly in response. Considering the bruise and how big it is, and the fact nobody spoke up about Satoko’s involvement, I think it’s safe to say Satoko isn’t the killer.

“Okay… Korin, I know this isn’t the best time. But-“

“You want my alibi for the murder, right?” Korin cut me off. “I was asleep. I know that’s difficult to prove, though.”

“It’s okay, I kind of think the fact that it was Satoko who got knocked out is pretty good evidence you didn’t do it,” I said. 

 

I looked up to see Delawyn enter the room, Seiryo behind her.

“Where’s Kenji?” I asked.

“He’s awake and alright, just downstairs,” Delawyn said.

“Thank god,” I said, before frowning at Seiryo. “I’ve been worried sick about you! Where have you been?”

“Sorry, I must’ve fallen asleep last night,” Seiryo said.

“At 9pm? How heavy a sleeper _are_ you? I was knocking on your door and ringing the doorbell like crazy!” I said.

“Must be a pretty heavy sleeper. I’m sorry,” Seiryo said.

I huffed, but nodded. “Okay… still, this isn’t like you. So, you just slept through the entire night?”

Seiryo just nodded.

“Okay… sorry if anything I said was invasive or rude,” I said.

Seiryo shook his head. “It’s alright, I understand.”

 

I turned my attention to… the body, and glanced at the Monokuma file again.

“Something the matter?” Delawyn asked.

“Ah, no, I just… maybe we should do an autopsy, just to be sure?” I said.

“The Monokuma file told us a lot, but…” Delawyn trailed off, before crouching by Aeko’s body. I crouched down next to her, and tried to watch her work…

It wasn’t easy. The idea of touching a dead body at all made me queasy, and when it was the dead body of one of my classmates…

“The file just told us the most prominent information,” Delawyn said, snapping me back to reality.

“So the wounds, right?” I said.

Delawyn nodded. “The file missed a couple of details. Look at her hands.”

I took a deep breath, before looking closer at Aeko’s hands.

“Huh? She’s holding onto something.”

“Not much, but something. Hair.” Delawyn pulled some of it out of Aeko’s hand. “Dark in colour, but I can’t quite determine what colour exactly.”

I took a glance, but I couldn’t quite figure it out either.

“Me neither.” I said. “Good luck getting a DNA test on it, too.”

“Don’t exactly like my chances. Still, dark hair could be important evidence,” Delawyn said, tucking the hair into her jacket’s pocket.

“Isn’t that a little gross?” I asked.

“Maybe, but if it helps us solve the case…”

… I shut my mouth.

 

  * **TRUTH BULLET – DARK HAIR IN AEKO’S HAND**



 

My eyes then fell on the wall beside Aeko. “That’s… okay, I don’t think blood splatters that way.”

“It doesn’t. Look at her other hand.” Delawyn pointed to Aeko’s right hand.

“There’s blood on her fingertips?” I said. “So… she drew that 9 on the wall in blood?”

“A dying message, I presume, but I’m not sure what she wanted us to think it meant.” Delawyn said.

 

  * **TRUTH BULLET – AEKO’S DYING MESSAGE**



 

Delawyn pushed herself to her feet, and I noticed a bloodied knife in her hands. One glance at Aeko’s body determined she pulled the knife out of her stomach.

 

“Don’t even think about it,” Kokuro said.

“Think about what?” Delawyn glanced over at Kokuro with a frown.

“You know damn well what – using the bloody knife!”

“… If you’re suggesting I did the murder, I have an alibi. Maemi and I were together before, during, and after the murder.”

“That might’ve been a solid alibi in previous murders, but this time, the motive allows for an accomplice with something to gain.” Kokuro folded her arms.

“That’s…” I said. I hadn’t thought about that added edge to the motive…

“The hair in Aeko’s hands is dark. My hair’s bright red,” Delawyn said. “So, there’s my second line of reasoning why I’m not the culprit.”

“Alright, fair enough. I’m not great at this investigating stuff. But even I noticed the motive could allow for an accomplice, and I at least want to do something useful this time rather than just stand around, and narrowing suspects based on the motive isn’t hard.” Kokuro tossed one of her twintails behind her shoulder with a slight toss of her head. “I’ll also mention this murder happened right as Maemi started getting _really_ attached to you, Delawyn.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“You think nobody’s noticed how often you’ve just zoned out and done nothing but stare at her with almost sparkling eyes?” Kokuro said. “Didn’t care before the motive. Now, I’ve got my suspicions about you.”

“… I’m just going to take the knife to my lab. I have suspicions about where the culprit got it from,” Delawyn said.

 

I stood up to follow her out, but I felt a hand grab my arm. I turned to see Kokuro holding onto my wrist. “Not so fast. I might suspect you, but you’re not my only suspect, and you missed something.”

“Huh?” I replied.

“You didn’t check the bloody bath,” Kokuro said. I heard a snort from Dai. I turned to face her, and she shook her head.

“Sorry, shouldn’t have done that,” Dai said.

“Why not?” I asked, as I headed over to the bath.

I stood over the bath, looking into the pinkish water.

“There’s something down here,” I said, taking a better look as the water settled down. “It looks like a… button? Like, a small clothing button.”

“In a tub full of blood, no less,” Dai said, before looking away. “… That’s why I was laughing.”

Kokuro rolled her eyes as I squinted – I didn’t want to disturb it in case Kokuro started accusing me of destroying or messing with evidence.

“It looks… light grey?” I said.

“Can’t really see, but it looks like it,” Kokuro replied.

“Your own buttons are light grey.” Dai pointed to Kokuro’s shirt.

“Yeah, but I don’t like any of you enough to want to kill someone to bail you out,” Kokuro said. “Gotta remember the motives, too.”

Still, both the bloodstained water and button were probably clues…

 

  * **TRUTH BULLET – BUTTON IN BATHTUB**



 

  * **TRUTH BULLET – BLOODSTAINED BATH WATER**



 

I couldn’t think of anything else here, except the obvious questions. “Where were you two last night?”

“Sleeping in my room,” Kokuro replied.

“As was I,” Dai said.

“Okay… so no alibi,” I said.

“Not really, but I don’t think either of us have motive, either,” Dai said.

“True. Thank you anyway,” I said, before turning to leave.

“Wait, what’s that?” Kokuro asked. I turned my head back to her to find her pointing to something near the door.

“Huh?” I frowned, before crouching down next to it. Dai crouched next to me.

“Looks like a gauze pad and disinfectant,” Dai said after a moment.

“Yeah, it does,” I affirmed.

“Then maybe it _is_ a bloody gauze pad and disinfectant,” Kokuro said.

“Oh, no, the gauze pad isn’t bloody this time,” Dai said, and I looked up to see her with a grin on her face as she faced Kokuro.

Kokuro rolled her eyes and shook her head, but I saw a thin smile on her face.

… God, if only we were getting along… when not investigating the death of our friend.

 

  * **TRUTH BULLET – GAUZE PAD AND DISINFECTANT**



“Still, I can’t see anything else here,” I said.

“Yeah, me neither. Might hang back with Dai though,” Kokuro said.

Dai nodded. “I’ll let you know if I see anything else that could be a clue.”

“Okay, thank you,” I said, before heading out the door.

 

As I left the bathhouse and went back out into the hallway, I ran into Delawyn.

“Oh, Delawyn!” I said. “How’d the thing with the weapon turn out?”

“I was right with my suspicion – the murder weapon was a combat knife from my lab,” Delawyn said. “Aside from that, the only other thing touched was a box of secobarbital capsules.”

“Eh? Secobarbo-what now?” I asked.

“To put it bluntly, it’s euthanasia in capsule form.”

Delawyn brandished a box towards me; the medical label was covered by a childish drawing of Monokuma with the word ‘euthanasia’ written in… crayon, of all things.

“At least, these capsules are. I use them if I botch an assassination job and can get close enough to the target to administer it, to help them die quickly and with less pain.”

“So, you think the culprit might have used them on Aeko? But-“

“The file said that Aeko had no drugs in her body,” We said at the same time.

Delawyn nodded. “Not one pill was missing from the pack, either. They likely had the _intention_ of easing her into death, but something stopped them. And I don’t think it was just a simple change of heart.”

“Right,” I said, making a mental note of everything I’d learned.

 

  * **TRUTH BULLET – CAPSULES ON FLOOR**



 

  * **TRUTH BULLET – COMBAT KNIFE**



 

  * **TRUTH BULLET – CULPRIT’S DISTURBANCE**



“Okay… I want to check the gym for something,” I said. “I’ll head over now.”

“Very well. I might check Aeko’s room, see if there are any clues there for why she would’ve gone to the bathhouse,” Delawyn said.

“I’ll meet you there,” I said.

 

Delawyn and I parted ways, and I headed to the gym.

As I opened the door, I saw one other person inside- Hisoka, who whipped around to face me as soon as I opened the door.

“Ah, Maemi…” Hisoka said.

“Hey, Hisoka,” I greeted back. “Found anything useful yet?”

“No, unfortunately… Kenji said he was in the library and saw some people heading up and down last night, but… fuck, I didn’t write down who and when,” Hisoka said.

“It’s okay, I’ll ask him. I don’t think he could’ve gotten up here and killed Aeko, anyway,” I said. “Um, since I’m collecting alibis, where were you?”

“Dunno how often you’ve heard this, but I was asleep,” Hisoka said. “You don’t think I did it, do you?”

“N-No, of course not…” I said, but this seemed like an odd time to bring that up…

“Alright,” Hisoka said. “So, you come in here for anything else?”

“Yeah, I did,” I said. “I saw a gauze pad and disinfectant bottle on the floor in the bathhouse.”

“How’s- Oh, right!”

Hisoka opened up the medicine cabinet, before stepping away to let me get a closer look.

“… There does seem to be less stuff in here than the last two days,” I said.

“So, definitely came from here?” Hisoka asked.

“Definitely came from here,” I affirmed.

 

  * **TRUTH BULLET – MILDLY EMPTIED CABINET**



 

“Okay, that should be all I need here,” I said, but his wording before… god, I hated the feeling, but it made me suspicious of him. I didn’t want to suspect him. I… couldn’t believe someone with such a friendly smile could commit murder.

I waved goodbye to Hisoka, before heading down to the second floor.

 

When I got onto the second floor, I saw Kadiri walking into the room at the other end of the hallway – Hisoka’s lab. I needed to talk to her anyway… so I sprinted after her, just in case.

I entered Hisoka’s lab, though I must’ve made quite a racket with opening the door, as I saw Kadiri whip her head around and frown at me.

“… You don’t need to run in the hall like that,” Kadiri said.

“I know, I know,” I replied, taking a deep breath. “Where were you-“

“At the time of the murder? Asleep,” Kadiri replied. “So I’m not much help.”

“Okay, thank you anyway,” I said. I decided to investigate Hisoka’s lab while I was here…

I saw some CDs out of place. Though when I opened all the cases, only one was missing, and when I opened the CD player, it was inside. So… while Hisoka definitely lied, I don’t think he did the murder, if this lab’s been used.

 

  * **TRUTH BULLET – ULTIMATE MODERN DANCER’S LAB**



 

I didn’t think there was anything else relevant to the case here, so I decided to go talk to Kenji. Hisoka had said that he had information…

 

I headed down to the first floor, deciding to go for the dormitories – maybe Delawyn asked him to help with the investigation of Aeko’s room?

 

I headed towards the dormitories, finding Kenji just outside Aeko’s room.

“Oh, Kenji!” I said, heading over. “I had a question to ask.”

“Bweh… I didn’t do it,” Kenji said.

“I know you didn’t, you couldn’t even have gotten up the stairs,” I said.

“Thanks for reminding me.” Kenji sunk in his seat.

“S-Sorry, that’s not what I wanted to do…” I said. “My question is, Hisoka said you had info. You were in the library last night, right?”

“Yep. Saw 3 people go up, and one go back down,” Kenji said. “Though I don’t know how much help one of those people will be.”

“Anything helps,” I said.

“Bweh… okay. At about 10:05-ish, I saw Hisoka go up the stairs. He went back down at about 11:15pm,” Kenji began. “… At about 11:30pm, Aeko went up. … Yep, she didn’t come back down, for obvious reasons. And then… at 11:45, Seiryo went up. And I left the library at about midnight and went back to bed.”

“Okay, that’s… that’ll probably be quite helpful,” I said. “Thank you, Kenji.”

“No problem,” Kenji said.

So… Seiryo lied about being asleep the whole time, but… why?

N-No… he couldn’t have. He wouldn’t have.

 

  * **TRUTH BULLET – KENJI’S TESTIMONY**



 

I walked around Kenji and over to Aeko’s door – it had been left slightly ajar. I decided to push it open a bit and stick my head through the crack to investigate.

“Come in,” Delawyn said, throwing her glance back to me.

I pushed open the door the rest of the way and walked in. Delawyn put a piece of paper in my hands.

“I found this tucked under Aeko’s pillow,” She said. I nodded, unfolding it and reading it. The handwriting was really elegant.

_Come to the bathhouse on the 3rd floor after the nighttime announcement. I wish to discuss something with you that may help all of us escape. Don’t worry – I don’t plan to kill you._

 

  * **TRUTH BULLET – NOTE IN AEKO’S ROOM**



 

“So… the culprit lured her up with this and lied to her?” I asked.

Delawyn’s response was to thrust something else into my hands. It was long, thin, and made of metal… and reminded me of those novelty swords for kids. I turned it in my hands for a few moments.

“… A knife sharpener?” I eventually said.

“Left on the floor,” Delawyn said. “Nearly stood on it on my way in.”

“That’s… weird to find in this room,” I said. It was probably important, though…

 

  * **TRUTH BULLET – KNIFE SHARPENER IN AEKO’S ROOM**



 

“Aeko’s ID card was in her pocket. I feel like if the culprit took her ID, they would’ve locked us out of this room,” Delawyn said.

 

  * **TRUTH BULLET – AEKO’S ID CARD**



 

As we began to consider our next course of action, the monitor in Aeko’s room switched on – and I presumed they switched on all over the asylum.

“Ding-dong-ding-dong! The investigation period is up! All lunatics, please meet up in the courtyard! Anybody who is not there in the next five minutes will be punished by the Mononurses!” Monokuma said, before the monitors flicked back off.

“Already…?” I said. “We found so little…”

“True. But we can’t stand around. If we discuss it through the trial, we’ll be able to figure it out,” Delawyn said.

“Right…” I nodded. “We don’t really have a choice.”

Delawyn nodded as well, leaving without another word. I followed her out, remaining silent as well.

 

We headed out to the courtyard.

Every time we got here… it was worse. Less and less people were turning up to trials…

“You okay, Maemi?” Hisoka asked. “You look pale.”

“There’s… even fewer of us this time,” I said.

“And if this keeps going, it’ll keep being fewer…” Seiryo added.

“Yeah, that’s how murder games and trials work,” Kadiri said. “Less people show up because they’re dead.”

“No less unsettling. What if you’re next?” Dai said.

“Pah. Like anyone here has a chance of killing me,” Kokuro said.

Satoko looked away when I glanced at her.

“Who’s _next_ isn’t a question we should trouble ourselves with,” Korin said. “Let’s just make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

“Maemi said that three fucking times, and it always happened again,” Kenji said.

“Maybe, but both she and Korin has a point,” Hiroshi said.

“For the time being, how about we focus on the trial?” Delawyn said.

 

“I coulda sworn there were more of you,” Monokuma said, appearing behind all of us.

“That’s all thanks to this sick game you concocted!” I yelled.

“Yeah, yeah, you’ve been saying that since Day One!” Monokuma replied. “Well, maybe not exactly Day One, but whatever! Everyone, please gather in the gazebo!”

Sighing, and with little more than a few mutters between us, we entered the gazebo. The vines closed around us again, and we began our descent back to the trial room.

 

Aeko Kakatto…

She may have been a little weird and out of this world, but she was always friendly and supportive, and she’d been so determined to live on and carry Tae’s wishes…

Her killer, the culprit, once again, stood among us.

The killer… broke our promise to never kill again.

How could they…?

But… only one thing was for sure.

I had to find them.

And I had to do it in the third Class Trial.


	12. Chapter 3: Savior of the Silent, Destroyer of Strength (Class Trial 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo, and sorry for the two-month wait on the chapter. The culprit is a bunch of things out of my control - uni-related projects and dealing with a situation involving unsavoury individuals took up a lot of time, and playing games took up the rest. I hope to finish at least this chapter before the next semester starts at uni. I'm still debating over returning to Tumblr or not. But rest assured, I didn't write over 50k words to give up on the project halfway through.

            We gathered around the podiums once again. I swear, I’ll never get used to how cold the wood frame feels under my hands, a vague but cruel reminder how every time I’m here, we’re all condemning someone to die. But it’s them, or the rest of us. If they were willing to kill to get us here… then I can’t hesitate, either.

I braced myself against the podium and stared around the courtroom, at eleven faces and five portraits, and found myself dreading the day there’d be more portraits than people.

 

            “Now then, let’s begin with-“ Monokuma began.

Kadiri cut him off, twirling the end of one of her twin-tails on her finger. “I think we know how the trials run now, Monokuma. Discuss the murder, figure out who did it. Winner gets to live. After all, we’ve done this before.”

“… Geez, ruin my theatrics, why don’t you? Is it not enough you’re a movie star!?” Monokuma yelled, raising his paws in the air. “But whatever, I guess I’ll just cut the time you can spend here in half!”

“Wait, based on **one** thing she said?” Hisoka said.

“We better get started then,” Korin said.

“Then I’ll start the discussion with something I find off about the body,” Dai said.

“Huh? What’s off?” Hiroshi asked.

“The state of the body, for where it was found,” Dai said.

“What, the slit in her throat, or the giant gaping wound in her stomach?” Kokuro said.

“Neither. My question is this: why isn’t Aeko naked?” Dai asked.

“That’s real tactful,” Kenji commented.

“She does have a point, though,” Delawyn said. “It’s odd to find a body in a bathhouse fully clothed.”

“Then that’s probably the mystery we should solve first,” I said.

“Then allow me to present my theory,” Kadiri said. “Aeko enters the bathhouse without her clothes to take a bath, but gets attacked by the culprit and killed.”

That… didn’t sound right, based on the evidence I found.

“I-I really don’t want to think about that.” Hiroshi said.

“You can back up that theory, right?” Seiryo said.

“I can,” Kadiri said.

 

**[NON-STOP DEBATE 1 – START!]**

“Gather, gather, for the explanation,” Kadiri said.

“We’re listening, hurry up,” Kokuro said.

“Aeko **enters the bathhouse naked,** ” Kadiri began.

“… gets **randomly attacked** by the culprit,”

“… and the culprit puts her clothes back on. Any questions?” Kadiri said.

“None here,” Kenji said.

“Then we’ve settled that,” Kadiri said.

 

No… something she said there doesn’t add up with something I found.

 

“Gather, gather, for the explanation,” Kadiri said.

“We’re listening, hurry up,” Kokuro said.

“Aeko **enters the bathhouse naked,** ” Kadiri began.

“… gets **randomly attacked** by the culprit,”

**[TRUTH BULLET – NOTE IN AEKO’S ROOM]**

“That’s wrong!” I shouted.

**[BREAK!]**

“No, Aeko went into the bathhouse clothed,” I said. “This note proves it.”

I pulled out the note and showed it to the courtroom. “Aeko received a note yesterday at some point asking her to meet in the bathhouse. Not only does it prove she intended to go there without taking her clothes off, but that she knew she was meeting up with someone.”

 

_[Come to the bathhouse on the 3rd floor after the nighttime announcement. I wish to discuss something with you that may help all of us escape. Don’t worry – I don’t plan to kill you.]_

“If she knew she would meet with someone but didn’t know who they were, I don’t think she’d strip down. The note doesn’t indicate they’ll be having a bath together,” Delawyn said.

“Well, then, I withdraw my theory,” Kadiri said.

“Though this presents another mystery…” Kenji said. “Why’d she even go to that meeting, anyway? We’re not allowed to try and escape…”

“We’re not allowed to _attempt_ escape. We’re allowed to try discussing it. At least, that’s my understanding of the rule,” Korin said.

“Yep, yep! That’s absolutely correct!” Monokuma said. “Talk about it to your heart’s content! But don’t try anything if you like your blood being on the inside of your body!”

“Then… there has to be another reason why Aeko went,” Dai said. “Possibly tied to evidence found in her room.”

“What evidence? Just the note?” Kokuro asked.

“Well, the note is one thing. But as we’ve cleared up why she went to the bathhouse in the first place, I have reason to suspect Aeko wasn’t just a victim in all this,” Dai said.

“Not just a victim?” Seiryo said.

“No, there’s no other way of looking at it! Aeko’s a victim!” Hiroshi said.

Unfortunately, I have evidence that proves that’s not the case.

 

**[SELECT A TRUTH BULLET!]**

**[TRUTH BULLET – AEKO’S ID CARD]**

“This proves that…” I said.

“That’s not proving anything! Aeko’s just a victim!” Hiroshi said.

He… I feel like that’s not true, but that’s the wrong piece of evidence…

Damnit, I messed up in front of everyone!

 

**[SELECT A TRUTH BULLET!]**

**[TRUTH BULLET – KNIFE SHARPENER IN AEKO’S ROOM]**

“This should prove it!” I shouted.

**[BREAK!]**

“No, Aeko’s… sadly not just a victim in this case. She was at least planning to defend herself.” Pulling the sharpener out of my pocket, I showed it to the courtroom. “This knife sharpener I found in her room proves it.”

“Knife sharpener?” Hisoka asked.

“We found it on the floor of Aeko’s room. I don’t think she’d have a knife sharpener if she wasn’t going to use it,” Delawyn said.

“W-Well, she might have had it to prevent others from using it…” Hiroshi said.

“That doesn’t make sense, surely the kitchen knives are already sharp enough for murder,” Kokuro said.

“I don’t think the sharpener was used on a kitchen knife. None were found at the crime scene, no evidence of a kitchen knife being used was found, and it makes no sense for both a combat knife and a kitchen knife to be involved in the crime if only the combat knife would be enough,” I said. “Hiroshi… I know you don’t want to hear this truth, but I think Aeko sharpened one of the combat knives… so she’s not just an innocent victim.”

“Damnit… why, Aeko?” Hisoka clenched his fist.

“That… that can’t be right…” Hiroshi said. “It just can’t be!”

“I agree,” Kenji said. “Something… doesn’t add up.”

No, everything adds up. I just need to hit them with the proof.

 

**[NON-STOP DEBATE 2 – START!]**

“Aeko wouldn’t attempt murder!” Hiroshi said.

“We **barely knew her** , what makes you say that?” Kokuro asked.

“She’s way too friendly and happy to!” Hiroshi replied.

“I agree…” Kenji said. “Seems too **out of character.** ”

“Why so?” Kadiri asked.

“There’s **no evidence that suggests** she put the sharpener there herself!” Hiroshi said.

**[TRUTH BULLET – AEKO’S ID CARD]**

“That’s wrong!” I shouted.

**[BREAK!]**

 

“There is evidence that suggests that Aeko put it there herself,” I said. “Her ID card was in her pocket when we found her.”

“Huh? I agree Aeko probably tried to attack somebody, but how the bloody hell is that evidence?” Kokuro asked.

“If her ID card was on her person, then only she could’ve accessed her room,” I explained.

“It could’ve been used and then placed back by the killer,” Dai said.

“I think… they would’ve tried locking us out of Aeko’s room if they grabbed her ID,” Hisoka said.

“Why would they lock the door?” Kenji asked.

“If one of us recognised the handwriting on the note, we’d be able to pinpoint them as the culprit immediately,” Kokuro said.

“While nobody recognised the handwriting, if the culprit was found due to it, it would be the most incriminating piece of evidence we’ve found so far,” Delawyn said. “It would be more beneficial to erase evidence incriminating them than just frame her as the assailant.”

“A-Aeko tried to escape…?” Hiroshi stammered. “She… tried to kill someone?”

“That’s… not quite clear, Hiroshi. She might have brought it with the intention to kill, she might have brought it as self-defence. But… she did bring a weapon to the crime scene,” I said.

“How ironic that she’d die to a weapon she brought to the scene…” Kenji said.

“That leads us to my next question.” Kadiri tapped her cheek. “How did the culprit get the knife off her? I don’t think she’d just drop it for them.”

“Fighting over it, obviously,” Kokuro folded her arms.

“You sure she didn’t just drop it?” Hisoka asked.

“Whether she bought the knife to kill someone or to defend herself, why the bloody hell would she just drop it?” Kokuro’s hands went to her hips.

“The culprit might’ve had a gun,” Korin suggested.

“If the culprit had a gun, I’m pretty sure they would’ve used it,” Kenji said.

There’s also evidence that shows that Kokuro’s theory about a struggle is correct.

I just need to hit them with that evidence!

 

**[HANGMAN’S GAMBIT 1 -START!]**

**_ _ _ _ _ _ _**

**B R U I S E S**

“I’ve got it!” I shouted.

**[BREAK!]**

“Kokuro’s right,” I said. “The bruises along Aeko’s arms and body prove there was a struggle.”

Kokuro smiled smugly. “Told you.”

“Alright, let me get this all down…” Hiroshi said, clearing his throat. “Aeko went up to the bathhouse late last night after… s-sharpening a knife, which she intended to use in self-defence in case her killer planned to attack her. Her killer saw the knife, fought with her for it, and then stabbed her in the stomach with it. T-Then slit her throat, dealing the final blow…”

“If the culprit fought with Aeko, is it possible she inflicted wounds to them?” Dai asked.

“Even if they did, it’s possible the culprit could’ve covered them with clothes or makeup,” Kadiri replied.

“So, we’re no closer to finding the murderer…” Hiroshi said.

“That’s because we’re not paying attention to an important piece of evidence,” Dai said.

“What piece of evidence?” Seiryo asked.

“The motive, I think,” Kokuro replied.

“Correct. Those with a strong connection to the motive are the ones we should be questioning.” Dai glared towards me. “Especially those who have been leading the discussion.”

“Hey, I-I’ve always led the discussion!” I replied.

“True, but assuming you did it, there’s a little more at stake for you this time,” Kadiri tossed her hair behind her head.  

“Maemi didn’t do it,” Delawyn said.

“You can prove that, right?” Korin asked.

“I can. I was with her the entire night,” Delawyn replied.

“Yeah, exactly. I couldn’t have done it-“

 **“And there’s the problem,”** Kokuro said.

 

“Huh?” I bit my lip.

“The motive this time allows for an accomplice,” Kokuro said. “Who’s to say Delawyn’s reliable if she has a chance of freedom too?”

I… I’ve never been outright accused of committing the murder before now. I felt my hands go sweaty, and my heartrate rise.

I need to shut down this accusation, now.

 

**[CROSS SWORDS 1 – START!]**

“In the past someone else’s alibi would clear you,” Kokuro began.

“But this time the motive is that one other person leaves unharmed!”

“And we all know bloody well about the googly eyes you’ve made at Delawyn!”

[ADVANCE!]

“Just because the motive could indicate me doesn’t mean I did it!”

“I’m telling the truth, I swear!”

“You can say that,”

“Preach to the bloody heavens that you’re totally innocent,”

“But **you’ve got no proof** that’s the case!”

**[TRUTH BLADE – KENJI’S TESTIMONY]**

“I’ll cut through that contradiction!” I shouted.

**[BREAK!]**

“No, I do have more than one person able to cover for me. Isn’t that right, Kenji?” I asked.

“You’re talking about my testimony, right?” Kenji asked, and I took the chance to take a slow and deep breath.

“Yep. Can you repeat it for everybody?” I asked.

“I went to the library at 9pm, and left at about midnight-“

“Leaving at the exact time of death?” Kadiri asked.

“I think there’d be a lot more evidence pointing to him if Kenji was the culprit considering his disability, and he doesn’t even have a motive, really…” I said. “Anyway, Kenji, continue.”

“Bweh… I saw 3 people go up the stairs, and one go back down,” Kenji said. “Hisoka went up at around 10pm, and went back down at around 11:15.”

“So based on that, we can clear Hisoka of the crime-“ I said, but was cut off.

“How are we sure those two aren’t working together?” Kokuro asked.

“I’m not, I swear!” Hisoka shouted.

Hisoka did lie about being asleep, but there’s evidence he didn’t commit the murder, and that Kenji’s telling the truth…

 

**[NONSTOP DEBATE 3 – START!]**

“We can’t be sure they’re not working together,” Kokuro said.

“Why do you say that?” Delawyn asked.

“Bweh… I’m **not working with him** ,” Kenji said.

“Is there **any evidence that they’re not?** ” Dai asked.

**[TRUTH BULLET – ULTIMATE MODERN DANCER’S LAB]**

“I’ve got proof!” I shouted.

**[BREAK!]**

“There is evidence that they’re not working together,” I said. “Kenji’s testimony matches up with the state I found Hisoka’s lab in.”

“It was used?” Hiroshi asked.

“Yep. Hisoka, I know you didn’t want suspicion thrown onto you, but if you were just in your lab, you can say so,” I said.

“Right, right… I’ve just never been in this situation before.” Hisoka rubbed at his jaw.

“We’ve done like, two trials now,” Kadiri said.

“Not the trial, I meant being accused of murder!” Hisoka said.

“I know… it’s the same for me.” I folded my arms, cradling my right elbow in my left hand. “But that should clear up why Hisoka was in his lab.”

“Not to mention he went back down and to bed before the murder happened…” Kenji said.

“We were arguing that you could’ve been lying for him,” Kokuro said. “Though it’s pretty obvious that’s not true, now.”

“Anyway, Kenji, continue your testimony, please,” I said.

“Now… I dunno if the timing is important, but Aeko went up at around 11:30pm. And she didn’t come back.”

“Obvious reasons,” Kadiri said.

“Yep! Would be pretty freaky if a corpse just started moving on its own!” Monokuma interjected.

“Okay, so Aeko went up about an hour before she died,” Delawyn said. “Last person to go up?”

“The last person I saw go up was Seiryo, at about 11:45pm. Then I went to bed at midnight,” Kenji said.

“Seiryo’s been awful bloody quiet, too,” Kokuro said.

“I don’t know that much about the case,” Seiryo replied.

“I don’t think that’ll work this time,” Korin said. “You went up to the higher levels where the murder happened, and unlike Hisoka, there’s no evidence of you going anywhere on the second floor.”

“And Kenji’s testimony verifies you went up just before the murder happened,” Dai said.

“But there’s no evidence he was on the third floor, either…” Hiroshi said.

“The culprit could’ve gone up before Kenji even arrived and left after Kenji went back!” Hisoka said.

“But don’t you think it’s at least a little suspicious that Seiryo went up fifteen minutes before Aeko died?” Kokuro said.

“I think we need to consider all other possibilities before hounding on Seiryo,” Delawyn said.

“Bweh… I dunno what to think,” Kenji said.

“Not exactly a mystery wrapped inside a riddle inside an enigma, but still. Could decide the outcome of the trial,” Kadiri said.

Satoko pushed her fingers together, and beneath her mask, I could see her jaw trembling.

“I… I’m sorry, Seiryo, but I have to pursue this lead. Please, don’t get angry at me…” I said.

“You’re not gonna fight with us, Maemi?” Hisoka said.

“I-It’s not like I want to do this, but if we don’t at least see this through, we’ll just be talking in circles!” I replied.

“Ehh… you’re split down the middle enough for the purposes of the trial, even if some of you are really indecisive!” Monokuma said. “And once you’re split down the middle, you know what that means!”

A groan came from Kokuro as Monokuma stuck a key into the panel in front of him, and again, our podiums were raised into the air. Some of us gripped on tightly – I was one of those people.

I never wanted to accuse Seiryo, after all he’s done for me. But his silence in this trial, compared to the other trials… he has to be hiding something.

I need to find out what that is!

 

**[SCRUM DEBATE – START!]**

**SEIRYO WAS ON THE SECOND FLOOR**

**SEIRYO WAS ON THE THIRD FLOOR**

“The **time** Seiryo went up the stairs is probably a coincidence!” Hiroshi said.

“The **time** also matches up with when the murder occurred,” Kokuro said.

“There’s no evidence that Seiryo was on the third **floor**!” Hisoka said.

“There’s also no evidence that he was on the second **floor,** ” Korin said.

“I had no **reason** to be on the third floor,” Seiryo said.

“Being there in time to murder Aeko strikes me as a **reason,** ” Dai said.

“There’s always the possibility that someone went up and back outside of Kenji’s **testimony** ,” Delawyn said.

“But Kenji’s **testimony** says that Seiryo did go up the stairs, we can’t just ignore that!” I said.

“This is our answer!” I shouted.

**[BREAK!]**

 

“Please, understand that I don’t want to consider the possibility that Seiryo did it either. But if we don’t explore that possibility, then we may as well pick somebody at random and hope we’re right.” I said.

“Though the odds of being wrong are going down every time we’re here, she’s got a point,” Dai said.

“… Very well. Seiryo, why were you upstairs at the time of the murder?” Delawyn asked.

“I went up, but it was to go to the laundry room,” Seiryo said.

“Why were you going to the laundry room? Dee said she was gonna take that!” Hisoka said.

“… Dee?” Delawyn asked.

“Yeah, it’s a nickname!” Hisoka said.

“Seiryo… please, stop lying,” I said.

“Or if you’re gonna lie, at least make it convincing,” Kadiri added.

“Alright. I went to the third floor. But I didn’t kill Aeko,” Seiryo said.

“We’ll be the judges of that, thank you very much,” Kokuro said.

“His answer’s very vague. In addition, there’s a lot of evidence we’re not discussing,” Delawyn said. “Mostly regarding the rooms near the crime scene.”

The rooms Delawyn was talking about were…

 

**[MAKE A SELECTION!]**

  1. Ultimate Assassin’s Lab and Ultimate Botanist’s Lab
  2. Gym and Ultimate Aquarium Curator’s Lab
  3. **Ultimate Assassin’s Lab and Gym**
  4. Kitchen and Ultimate Pilot’s Lab



“I’ve got it!” I said.

**[BREAK!]**

 

“The gym and your lab had evidence from the crime, right?” I said.

“Correct. One of the knives was missing from my lab, and a box of secoba- … euthanasia tablets were on the floor,” Delawyn said. “As for the gym, the medicine cabinet had been raided.”

“Hang on – both the medicine cabinet, a murder weapon, and euthanasia tablets were touched last night?” Kadiri said.

“When you put it like that… sounds like there **was** more than the victim and culprit involved,” Kenji said.

“It does sound weird that a culprit would try to heal the victim, grab euthanasia, _and_ slit her throat,” Kokuro said. “Seems like a lot of extra steps for a bloody petty reason.”

“And we already discussed that the culprit likely didn’t go through extra steps to frame people for aspects of the murder,” Delawyn said.

“So two people aside from Aeko were at the crime scene… someone was trying to help her!” Hisoka said.

“Does that clear Seiryo?” Hiroshi asked.

“Not necessarily. We need to figure out whether he was attempting to patch Aeko up or deal the killing blow,” Dai said.

“The medicine cabinet’s supplies were pretty basic,” Kenji said. “I don’t think anybody could’ve saved her.”

“You’d have to be, like, the Ultimate Doctor or something to save her from that,” Kadiri said.

“That’s… kind of the thing,” Seiryo said.

“Huh?” I asked.

Seiryo took a deep breath. “I… remembered my talent last night. It’s the Ultimate Doctor.”

**[CLASS TRIAL – SUSPENDED]**


	13. Chapter 3: Savior of the Silent, Destroyer of Strength (Class Trial 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quick warning before we start: This chapter contains mentions of implied sexual assault as part of the culprit's backstory. Please be advised of this content.

**[MONOKUMA THEATRE]**

“In the world, there are just some cruel individuals.”

“There’s nothing you can really do about it.”

“My mothers were cruel people.”

“They weren’t the only horrible mothers, though.”

“I know of one mother who would feed her adopted orphan children to a demon baby she kept in her basement.”

“Huh. That would be an interesting setting, a spooky mansion.”

“We did try to rent out the apartment of the Ultimate Heir, but he said no.”

“And that’s why there are cruel individuals in the world.”

**[MONOKUMA THEATRE]**

            “… What?” I said.

“I remembered my talent. It’s the Ultimate Doctor,” Seiryo repeated.

“And how do we know that’s not a sorry attempt to save your ass?” Kokuro asked.

“I don’t know what proof I can provide to answer your question,” Seiryo said.

“Your testimony would be a good start. You’re being awfully secretive about the whole affair,” Dai said.

“Alright. I’m sorry,” Seiryo said. “Last night, I… kind of passed out early. After realising I’d passed out, I headed upstairs to see if any of the equipment in Delawyn’s lab or the gym could be used to…”

Seiryo stopped himself. Was… was he up there for me?

He glanced across the courtroom at me.

I… didn’t want everyone to know about my anxiety condition. If they took advantage of it… I could wind up backing off a culprit if they triggered a panic attack so intense that I went nonverbal for several hours. I… could accidentally kill us all.

But… Hisoka was there for me in those times. Delawyn… She was there for me yesterday, too. And if she hadn’t testified… I might not have been here. We might all be dead.

I steel myself and give Seiryo a nod.

“… help Maemi with her condition,” he finishes.

“Condition?” Hiroshi asked.

“… I have anxiety disorder,” I state matter-of-factly.

“Anxiety disorder?” Korin repeated.

“That would explain a lot,” Kokuro said.

“I thought that there might be something up there I could use to help her,” Seiryo continued. “I knew it was probably a futile effort, but I thought it was worth at least trying. When I got up there… I saw the door to Delawyn’s lab closing, and I heard crying coming from the bathhouse.”

“From Aeko, right?” Hiroshi said.

“When I opened the door to the bathhouse, yes, I did see Aeko, with the knife still in her stomach,” Seiryo said. “And… my next few actions were so natural that I can’t come to any other conclusion about my talent.”

“You mentioned the door to my lab closing. Did you see who went inside?” Delawyn asked.

“If I knew, I’d tell you. But I’m sorry, I didn’t.” Seiryo said. “I instructed her to keep the knife in as even though it hurt, taking it out would hurt more and cause her to bleed out faster. I then sprinted to the gym. I got out what first aid I needed to stop the bleeding.”

“And what first aid items would they be?” Dai asked.

“A gauze pad, and some disinfectant,” Seiryo replied.

 

Based on the evidence I found, this is…

**[True]**

[False]

“It’s true!” I said.

 

And the evidence that proves it is…

**[TRUTH BULLET – GAUZE PAD AND DISINFECTANT]**

“I’ll prove it with this!” I said.

**[BREAK!]**

 

“There was gauze pad and disinfectant in the bath house. That’s why you were asking, wasn’t it, Dai?” I asked.

“Correct,” Dai said.

“Yeah, but the gauze and disinfectant could’ve been spotted by anybody with eyes and who went to the crime scene,” Kokuro said.

“I don’t know about that. Remember, it was right up against the door,” Dai said.

“I didn’t spot it during my autopsy. It’s difficult to take as evidence, but it is a sign he at least knows thoroughly of an attempt to heal her,” Delawyn said.

“Seiryo, could you please continue?” I asked.

“I grabbed the gauze pad and disinfectant. It was hard to find a pad big enough in there for her wound. Then I returned back as fast as I could. I saw the door to the sauna close, but I was worried too much about Aeko to check it first. I opened the bathhouse door, and… I saw that nine on the wall in blood, and… she was gone. I failed to save her.”

“Did you pursue the culprit?” Kadiri asked.

“I tried to. I pushed and pulled on the sauna door as much as I could, but it wouldn’t budge,” Seiryo said. “After about ten minutes, I gave up. I’d failed to save Aeko and I couldn’t even expose her killer.”

“I really can’t see any holes in his testimony…” I said.

“No, but something still bothers me about the crime scene,” Kokuro said.

“What’s so weird about it?” Hisoka asked.

“Something that Aeko pulled off of the culprit in their struggle,” Kokuro said.

 

She’s probably talking about…

**[SELECT A TRUTH BULLET!]**

**[TRUTH BULLET – BUTTON IN BATHTUB]**

“It was the button, right?” I asked.

“That might have come off later. I’m talking about what definitely came off during the struggle,” Kokuro replied.

There’s something else she’s talking about…

Damnit, I messed up in front of everyone!

 

Kokuro’s probably talking about…

**[TRUTH BULLET – DARK HAIR IN AEKO’S HAND]**

“This is it!” I shouted.

**[BREAK!]**

 

“You’re talking about the dark hair found in her hand, right?” I asked.

“Yep. Correct me if I’m wrong, but Seiryo has pretty dark hair himself,” Kokuro said. “So, before we let him off the hook, let’s discuss this further.”

 

**[NON-STOP DEBATE 4 – START!]**

“Seiryo’s got dark hair, which was found in Aeko’s hand,” Kokuro said.

“I really don’t think it’s Seiryo’s hair, though,” Dai said.

“ **Colour** is a bit off,” Kadiri said.

“I think it’s the **texture,** ” Delawyn said.

“Could **length** be the problem?” Hisoka asked.

“Honestly, **I agree with Kokuro** …” Kenji said.

“There’s not much more than speculation,” Kokuro said. “Any last objections?”

 

Someone did say something that completely uproots Kokuro’s theory… I just need to figure out what it is.

 

“Seiryo’s got dark hair, which was found in Aeko’s hand,” Kokuro said.

“I really don’t think it’s Seiryo’s hair, though,” Dai said.

“ **Colour** is a bit off,” Kadiri said.

“I think it’s the **texture,** ” Delawyn said.

**[TRUTH BULLET – DARK HAIR IN AEKO’S HAND]**

“I agree with that!” I said.

**[BREAK!]**

“Delawyn’s right. The texture of the hair is wrong!” I said.

“How so?” Kokuro asked.

“If Seiryo was attacked and had his hair pulled on, it’d be both harder to pull out, and would have more evidence attached to it,” I said. “He wears his hair in dreadlocks.”

“It would be hard to pull out only a few strands of hair like that, and I doubt that precision would be made by an aquarium curator fighting for her life,” Dai said.

“So… Seiryo’s clear?” Hiroshi asked.

“Looks like it,” Kenji said.

“But where does our next lead go?” Kokuro asked.

That’s… an important question.

There’s not much evidence left that we haven’t discussed…

For now, I should set in place how the culprit moved in such a fashion that they were never seen by Seiryo.

And then, we might finally have some evidence pointing towards the true culprit!

 

**[SHADOW BLADING – START!]**

…

…

…

**[QUESTION ONE: When did the culprit arrive on the 3 rd floor?]**

**Before 9pm**

Between 9pm and 12am

After 12am

…

…

…

**[QUESTION TWO: When did the culprit have their struggle with Aeko?]**

11:30

**11:40**

11:50

…

…

…

**[QUESTION THREE: When did the culprit kill Aeko?]**

Before Seiryo arrived

While Seiryo was in the hallway

**While Seiryo was in the gym**

**…**

**…**

**…**

“It’s all coming together!” I said.

**[BREAK!]**

“I can answer one thing, at least,” I said. “How the culprit moved without Seiryo seeing him. They timed when Seiryo went to the gym, and quickly went in after he went inside to finish Aeko off.”

“That’s obvious,” Kadiri said.

“But how would the culprit know Seiryo was coming back?” Hiroshi asked.

“I can answer that one,” Dai said.

“You can?” I asked.

“If you’re talking about the window on the door, I can back her up,” Kokuro said.

“Then please, explain,” Seiryo said.

“The glass window on the door to the locker room would allow anyone in the bathhouse to see into the third floor, but can’t be seen into. Else, this trial would be a lot shorter.” Dai explained.

“And yet, that brings us no closer to the culprit,” Kokuro said.

“There’s one piece of evidence we’ve yet to discuss,” Delawyn said.

 

She’s probably talking about…

**[SELECT A TRUTH BULLET!]**

**[TRUTH BULLET: AEKO’S DYING MESSAGE]**

“I’ve got it!” I shouted.

**[BREAK!]**

“Aeko’s dying message, right?” I said.

“Right,” Delawyn replied.

“The 9?” Korin asked.

“Not sure who that could point to,” Kokuro said.

“If we’re to solve the mystery, we need to figure out that dying message,” Dai said.

 

**[NON-STOP DEBATE 5 – START!]**

“What does 9 stand for?” Seiryo asked.

“ **Ninth in the circle** from where she is?” Hisoka suggested.

“Maybe the **culprit left it** instead?” Hiroshi added.

“The **9 th lab** to be revealed?” Kadiri twisted a piece of hair around her finger.

“Have 9 labs even been revealed?” Kokuro asked.

“Or maybe it’s **not a 9 at all,** ” Delawyn suggested.

“Bweh… We might **not be able to figure it out** ,” Kenji said.

“We can’t give up. We need to figure out the **reason for Aeko’s dying message**.” Dai said.

**[NEW TRUTH BULLET – REASON FOR DYING MESSAGE]**

I know I heard the correct reason somewhere in there.

I just need to point it out!

 

“What does 9 stand for?” Seiryo asked.

“ **Ninth in the circle** from where she is?” Hisoka suggested.

“Maybe the **culprit left it** instead?” Hiroshi added.

“The **9 th lab** to be revealed?” Kadiri twisted a piece of hair around her finger.

“Have 9 labs even been revealed?” Kokuro asked.

“Or maybe it’s **not a 9 at all,** ” Delawyn suggested.

**[TRUTH BULLET – REASON FOR DYING MESSAGE]**

“I agree with that!” I shouted.

**[BREAK!]**

“That’s it! What if the 9 on the wall isn’t a 9!” I asked.

“What else would it be? An upside-down six?” Kokuro asked.

“It could be, but a 6 also isn’t much use. It could also not be a number at all,” Delawyn said.

Not a number… and no letter looks like that.

It could be an object…

…

…

…!

 

“You look like you’ve figured it out, Maemi,” Seiryo said.

“I… yeah. I think I have.” I said.

If the dying message is an object pointing to the culprit, and given all the other evidence…

They’re the only one that makes sense to be the killer.

 

**[SELECT SOMEONE!]**

Kadiri Nakashima

Mokichi Hatsu

Delawyn Fukui

Tae Kawada

Kenji Katayama

Kinzo Takashi

Hisoka Ongakundo

Kokuro Shiroko

Seiryo Yuuma

Dai Kamowa

Hiroshi Ohta

Aeko Kakatto

Airou Himura

Maemi Akemi

Satoko Uesaka

**[Korin Uesaka]**

“You’re the only one!” I shouted.

**[BREAK!]**

**…**

 

“The dying message Aeko left for us wasn’t a number. It was an object. A drawing to point us towards the killer.” I said. “Specifically, a sewing needle.”

“Didn’t all the girls get sewing needles?” Kokuro said.

“Yeah, but I suspect Aeko wouldn’t leave such a vague dying message,” I said. “Only one talent matches up with a sewing needle.”

I… wanted it to come out more cleanly. But I could feel my heart speeding up.

Deep breaths, Maemi…

“You’re saying I did it, aren’t you?” Korin said.

I took another deep breath. I needed to stay calm.

“Sorry, Korin, but… that makes the most sense,” I replied.

“I don’t believe we ever officially said that you were in the clear, though,” Korin replied. “After all, we determined the culprit went up before Kenji arrived in the library and went back after he left.”

“That’s… a good point, actually,” Kenji said.

“I was with Maemi at the time of the murder, in my room. We established that,” Delawyn said.

“But we also established there could be an accomplice,” Dai said.

“Maemi’s motive is clear, too,” Korin continued. “She’s clearly fallen for Delawyn. Why wouldn’t they work together, if they stayed the night together, too?”

I… I couldn’t let this discussion go further.

There has to be a way to prove that I’m innocent and Korin is lying!

 

**[NON-STOP DEBATE 6 – START!]**

“Maemi’s certainly clever, steering us down this path,” Korin said.

“Aeko’s dying message would make no sense,” Hiroshi began, “If the culprit was Maemi.”

“But she has been **controlling most of the debate** ,” Dai said.

“And she has the **motive** to go kill somebody,” Kokuro added.

“Exactly my point,” Korin said.

“And with **no evidence proving her innocent,** ”

**[TRUTH BULLET – BUTTON FOUND IN BATHTUB]**

“That’s wrong!” I shouted.

**[BREAK!]**

“No, I can prove my innocence!” I said. “There’s that button in the bath!”

“A lot of us have buttons on our clothes, Maemi…” Kenji said. "And that includes you."

“Well, yeah, that’s true,” I admitted. “But my shirt’s buttons are red. The button we saw in the bathtub looked grey!”

“So?” Kadiri asked. “How many of us are wearing grey buttons?”

The buttons only _look_ grey…

There’s evidence that proves that they’re not.

 

**[SELECT A TRUTH BULLET!]**

**[TRUTH BULLET – BLOODSTAINED BATH WATER]**

“I’ve got it!” I said.

**[BREAK!]**

“The bath water was stained with blood, which made the button look grey,” I said.

“Oh! I think I can explain this one,” Hisoka said.

I gave him a nod and took the opportunity to breathe deeply.

“So, you guys know colour theory, right?” Hisoka began. “If red water was over a red button, the button would appear red. If it was over a grey button, it’d still appear red. But red’s opposite is green. If you put the two together, they cancel each other out!”

“And the only one of us who wears green buttons is-“ Delawyn was cut off.

“And how do we know nobody broke into my lab or room and planted the evidence in the bath?” Korin asked.

“We didn’t find any evidence of your lab bein-“ Dai said.

“So, that automatically means it was me? A culprit knew not to disturb my lab when grabbing evidence?” Korin said. “Come now, friends, we’re better than this.”

Korin’s not listening…

There’s one piece of evidence I disregarded at the time, but now see was crucial.

I just need to get through and hit him with that evidence!

 

**[PANIC TALK ACTION – START!]**

“We’re all friends here.”

“There’s no evidence pointing towards me.”

“We’re merely speculating.”

**{Tempo Up!}**

“You can’t connect me to the crime.”

“Where is your proof?”

“We shouldn’t argue like this.”

**{Tempo Up!}**

“This is getting ridiculous.”

“You’ve got nothing.”

“Friends, let’s stop this!”

**“There’s not one piece of evidence pointing towards me being the culprit!”**

**DEAD|IS|SATOKO|NOT**

**SATOKO|IS|NOT|DEAD**

“This is the end!” I shouted.

**[BREAK!]**

“Satoko being with us right now is the proof we need!” I said.

Satoko looked at me alarmedly, and her face and mask were streaming with tears. Had… had I just been ignoring her the whole time? I… was basically condemning her brother to die…

But… even with the guilt building in my gut, I couldn’t back down. I couldn’t let everyone else die instead.

“Satoko was attacked this morning and hit on the head, before the rest of us woke up and found the body,” I started. “I… know this is going to sound horrible, but if you were trying to ensure that nobody would learn of your crime too early, you’d probably do a more thorough job.”

I glanced over at Korin. He’d gone silent. I took another deep breath and continued.

“If it was anybody else who stumbled onto the crime scene, or if the culprit was anyone else, then… we would’ve had two victims in this case. But if you’re trying to save the person who stumbled upon your crime scene, you wouldn’t kill them. And… I don’t think Korin has it in him to kill his sister.”

“… No. I wouldn’t.” Korin didn’t face me as he said this.

“Then I guess he’s confessed,” Kadiri said.

“I’ll wrap this up, then…” I said.

 

**[CLIMAX INFERENCE – START!]**

“Aeko received the letter sometime between dinner and the nighttime announcement, asking her to come to the third floor. Aeko was paranoid that she was going to be targeted for murder despite the letter’s insistence that they wouldn’t do anything, and she decided she needed a self-defence plan.

“Aeko snuck into Delawyn’s lab, which she’d had to leave unlocked without somebody inside. She took a knife for self-defence but wasn’t convinced it would be sharp enough if she had to defend herself. She went back to the kitchen, grabbed a knife sharpener, and spent most of her evening in her room sharpening the knife.

“Eventually, the nighttime announcement happened, and about an hour and a half later, Aeko went up the stairs to the third floor, trying to find some way of concealing the knife. She mustn’t have done it very well, as the culprit likely found out about it not long after she entered.

“The culprit must’ve either panicked or saw their opportunity to kill after Aeko brought a murder weapon. The two struggled for a bit, and Aeko ripped out some of the culprit’s hair at one point, but in the end, Aeko was overpowered by the culprit, had her weapon taken and used against her, and was stabbed in the stomach.

“The culprit left shortly afterwards to go get something to ease Aeko’s pain, as she wasn’t exactly dying quickly with where the knife was stuck. The Monokuma file said that it missed her internal organs, so she was just bleeding out.

“Seiryo went up to the third floor to try and see if there was anything that could be used to aid anxiety, and heard crying from the bathhouse. When he entered, he found Aeko dying right in front of him. He must’ve panicked, too, and took off towards the gym after remembering there were first aid items in there.

“The culprit saw Seiryo go to the gym from Delawyn’s lab and decided easing her along with euthanasia pills wasn’t an option anymore. In the culprit’s mind… Aeko had to die quickly, or she would tell everyone that they attacked her last night. The culprit ran off towards Aeko, while Seiryo was searching for a gauze pad big enough to heal Aeko.

“The culprit re-entered the bathhouse, took the knife out of Aeko’s stomach, pulled her scarf down, and using the blade Aeko had sharpened herself, slit her throat. Aeko’s death from that wound was instant, though the culprit probably still got blood on them. They pulled her scarf back up, put the knife back into her stomach, and quickly left into the sauna.

“Seiryo saw the culprit enter the sauna, though he couldn’t make out their identity. But to him, saving Aeko was his priority – which gave the culprit enough time to block the door with their shirt, to prevent the door to the sauna from opening and prevent anyone from getting in. Seiryo entered the bathhouse, but already saw it was too late to save her. I can’t imagine how that would’ve felt… Seiryo tried to open the door to the sauna to see who the culprit was, but he couldn’t get the door open despite his efforts. He decided he couldn’t do anything but leave it alone and go sleep. He kept quiet about his involvement because he wasn’t sure whether we’d believe him.

“I am pretty sure the culprit slept or otherwise stayed in the sauna, and tried to clean the blood off of their shirt early in the morning, before anyone would be awake. This is when a button fell off the culprit’s shirt from the strain of being held against the door, and into the bathtub. And to make matters worse for the culprit, their own sister arrived for an early morning bath. They were afraid to risk her talking about it or alerting people early, but… they couldn’t kill their sister. She was the one they were trying to save. So, the culprit instead decided to knock her out.

“And then… Hiroshi found both of them unconscious at 9:30am, during our morning search for everybody. We managed to revive Satoko, but Aeko had already been dead for nearly twelve hours.

**_“This is your crime, isn’t it, Korin Uesaka, the Ultimate Fashion Designer?”_ **

**[BREAK!]**

“I… I’m sorry. Both of you,” I said. “But… I haven’t missed anything, have I?”

“… No. You haven’t.” Korin said.

“Then… this trial is over,” Delawyn said.

“You guys are done? Righty-o! As usual, vote on your phones for the culprit!” Monokuma said.

We all took out our phones. Some of us were quick to cast their votes… not me. I hesitated, but eventually did cast my vote for Korin.

The votes were tallied. 10 votes for Korin, and one vote for Satoko. It… didn’t take long for me to figure out who would’ve voted for her.

**[CLASS TRIAL – END.]**

“Three times in a row, you’ve done it! Keep this up and we’ll be the underdogs going to debate finals!” Monokuma said. “The culprit responsible for the murder of Aeko Kakatto is the Ultimate Fashion Designer, Korin Uesaka!”

We stood in silence once more. There wasn’t much to be said. What could we say? It would just cause more pain between them…

The silence hung in the air longer than we thought it would. Or maybe it just felt like it was a longer silence. It didn’t matter either way… it was deafening. Sickening. It felt like my tongue had swollen in my mouth.

 

“… Why?” A voice said. It… wasn’t one we’d heard before. It sounded husky, and a little deep. A small part of me hoped it was someone come to save us, but…

“Satoko?” Korin said, affirming what occupied most of my thoughts about the voice.

“W-why would you… and I couldn’t…” Satoko stammered.

Korin wrapped Satoko into a hug, arms cradled around her shoulders and supporting her head on his.

“It’s not your fault, Satoko,” He said. “It… was my decision to try and save us.”

“You probably would’ve been safer if you’d not bloody gone and killed somebody,” Kokuro said.

“I know. I wasn’t thinking clearly,” Korin replied. “I know that’s not an excuse. Nothing I could say would bring Aeko back. All I can provide are reasons.”

“Well, you’ve only got a few minutes before Monokuma drags you off. Shall you reveal them?” Kadiri said.

“I… I made a reckless decision. It’s cost Satoko the only family she has left.” Korin said.

“So… you’re orphans?” I asked.

Korin just smiled, but I could see disgust and sadness welling up behind his eyes. “If only we were so lucky. Our parents… unfortunately, weren’t very accepting of who I loved. And when that…” He stopped himself.

“I-I was the same,” Satoko said, picking up where her brother had left off. “It… it’s okay. I… I think…  I think we can trust them, Korin.”

“I’m sorry to put you through this,” Korin said, before turning back to us – specifically, Kenji. “You were pretty accurate with your comment a couple of days ago, about playing for the other team. I guess I’ll come clean about it. I’m gay. Satoko is bi. And… our parents wouldn’t accept either of us for them. They hated it so much that… they tried to correct it. In the vilest way possible.” Korin’s jaw trembled, and Satoko sunk her head further into her brother’s shoulder.

That… if it was what I thought it was, that was horrible. And I’d taken my mother’s acceptance of me being pan for granted…

“… Bloody unforgivable, that is,” Kokuro remarked.

“I agree entirely,” Korin said. “The day that Satoko and I both got scouted for Hope’s Peak was the greatest moment of our lives. And the last week that I’ve spent with you, despite all of this… I’ve been able to be open about myself, without the threat of being hurt for it.”

“B-But still… it’s g-going to be over…” Satoko said, burying her face deeper into Korin’s shoulder, sobbing deeply into it.

“Satoko… don’t worry. These people are good people.” Korin looked up at us. “I believe you can trust these people. They’ll be able to keep you safe. But you need to work towards opening up to others. I… just wish that I hadn’t sheltered you so much.”

“I… I should’ve done something, anything, I should’ve known, I-“ Satoko said.

“You’re not to blame, Satoko. I committed the murder. This is my fault.” Korin tightened his grip on Satoko. “I wouldn’t blame you for any part of this.”

“Geez, can we hurry it up? We gotta stay on schedule!” Monokuma said.

It was with a lot of hesitation that Satoko let go of Korin. He took a pen out of his shirt pocket, placing it in Satoko’s hands.  

“I know it’s not much, but I hope it will ease your pain,” he said, before looking up at us. “Please, I hope that it’s not too much to ask that you take care of my sister.”

“I… if she’ll let me, I’ll try.” I said.

“Same applies to me,” Hisoka said.

“Y-Yeah, same here!”  Hiroshi said.

“Thank you…” Korin said. “Satoko… please. Never be ashamed for who you are, or of your face and voice.”

“Are we doooone? I’m so boooored…” Monokuma said.

Korin rolled his eyes. “Yes, Monokuma. You can proceed to brutally maiming me in front of my only family and all my friends.”

“Finally! This lovey-dovey brother-sister-goodbye crap was even more un-bear-able than the last two dramatic speeches!” Monokuma said. “Anyway, I have an extra-special punishment awaiting the Ultimate Fashion Designer, Korin Uesaka!”

“Goodbye, Satoko. Don’t let a tragedy like this happen again, friends. Please.”

“Let’s give it everything we’ve got! IT’S PUNISHMENT TIME!”

 

[KORIN UESAKA HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY.]

[TIME FOR THE PUNISHMENT!]

Korin was strapped to a life-sized roulette wheel, arms and legs outstretched in a starfish pattern. Behind him, a pattern resembling a pixelated bloodstain was stitched into the wheel. Monokuma steered a massive machine that looked like a cross between a sewing machine and a giant forklift.

**[Ultimate Fashion Designer in: Patented and Patterned to Perfection!]**

Monokuma aimed the sewing machine at Korin’s wrist, stitching it into the wheel. He then did the same for the other wrist, and then both his ankles. All four wounds prompted flinches and teeth grits from Korin.

That was only the start of it.

The wheel began to spin. Slowly at first. Blood dripped down from the needle points over the roulette wheel’s fabric.

The wheel began spinning faster.

More stitches were made. Elbows, knees, shoulders, hips. The machine drowned out any cries of pain that Korin made.

The wheel span faster.

Korin became a green blur slowly turning to the colour of blood. His glasses slid from his head at some point, skittering and hitting the ground at Satoko’s feet.

The wheel slowed to a stop.

The white thread had been dyed the colour of blood, and there were almost no traces of Korin’s body. Monokuma stuck down a sign next to the roulette wheel: “Buy now for 5000 yen!”

 

…

With shaking hands, Satoko picked up the glasses that had slid to the floor at her feet. Her eyes began to water, and she raised her shirt sleeve to wipe away her tears.

“Satoko…” I started. I held my arms out, but… I’d been the one to accuse him. Why would she trust-

I’m stopped in my thoughts by Satoko’s arms wrapping around my shoulders. My shirt’s sleeve was soaked through almost immediately by tears, but I held onto her.

“It’s okay… I’ll fulfil your brother’s wish. We all will,” I said, slowly placing my hands on her back and giving her a reassuring pat – I knew it was a futile practice. She just lost her brother. There was nothing in the world I could do to bring him back...

“… Th-thank you,” Satoko eventually said, before releasing me and standing on her own.

 

“… I-I don’t believe I… I introduced myself,” she said. Her hands were shaking, and there were still tears in her eyes. “… Y-You know this, b-but… m-my name is Satoko Uesaka. I’m the Ultimate Sculptor.”

It was information we all already knew, but it was in a voice I never thought I’d hear. It… was a little weird hearing a raspy voice come out of such a short girl, but…

Nevertheless, I was so proud of Satoko for introducing herself.

Hiroshi beamed beneath his mask, waving to Satoko. “Pleased to meet you!”

 

It would be a long road ahead for Satoko, whatever route she took.

But… I was happy that it seemed she would trust her brother’s words and try to socialise with us more.

I was more than happy to try and help her.

 

We all climbed back into the elevator, and began our ascent back up.

It was quiet, and the atmosphere was hard to make out. Satoko stood at the corner of the elevator, Hiroshi next to her. Neither said a word. Kenji rested an arm on the side of his wheelchair, cupping his jaw in his hand. Kadiri stood next to the doors of the elevator, brushing stray pieces of her hair out of her face and back into place. Kokuro leaned against the back corner opposite me, staring off into the ceiling. Dai stood at the centre of the elevator, arms neatly folded and expression vacant.

And as for the rest of us – me, Hisoka, Delawyn, and Seiryo – we all stood in the corner.

“Anyone you think we can trust?” Seiryo asked, keeping his voice a hushed whisper, barely audible over the hum of the elevator.

“I dunno if the mastermind would kill their own sibling…” Hisoka said.

“It’s a possibility,” Delawyn said. “Junko Enoshima allegedly killed hers.”

“Wait, how do you know?” I asked.

“I took another look at the server on the computer in the A/V room,” Delawyn said. “There was a patient file there that wasn’t when we first checked it. A patient file for Junko Enoshima.”

“Why would there be a new file for Junko? She’s been dead for years according to that book we found, hasn’t she?” Hisoka said.

“That **I** found, thank you,” I reminded him.

“My guess is either it was a file withheld from us initially, or she may have been a patient as a child,” Delawyn said. “Though my suspicions are on the first one. The photo ID attached clearly showed her as being our age.”

“So Monokuma’s giving us files exponentially… That’s annoying,” Seiryo said.

“It is. And more annoying, I don’t know if there’s anything else we can trust,” Delawyn said.

As she did, the elevator doors finally crawled to a stop and opened back out into the courtyard.

 

The rest of us seemed too tired to return to normal for the last few hours before the night-time announcement. We moved almost as a mob towards the bedrooms. It felt less like a class than ever. More like a party than anything else.

And as I opened the door and went into my room, I hoped to whatever gods that may exist that it wouldn’t get smaller.

But by now… I knew that was probably futile.

If I was going to save everybody… If I was going to prevent more murders…

…

…

…

**I had to find the mastermind.**

**[CHAPTER 3 – END.]**

**SURVIVORS: 10**


	14. Chapter 4: Revisit Lives That Never Were (Daily Life)

…

…

…

And again, I find myself unable to sleep.

I haven’t taken my clothes off or gotten changed into my pyjamas.

It’s gross, I know. I’ve been wearing the same set of clothes for about 48 hours.

Maybe that’s why I couldn’t sleep…?

 

I stood up and walked over to my wardrobe, yanking out the first thing I could find in the darkness that looked remotely like sleepwear.

I was lucky enough that it was a pair of sleeping shorts and a tank top. I quickly swapped my clothes over and laid back down, staring up at the ceiling.

Wondering if it was even worth trying to inspire everybody tomorrow at breakfast.

Mokichi, Kinzo, Tae, Airou, Aeko, and Korin…

They were proof my words weren’t working.

No… they didn’t need inspiring speeches. They needed answers.

Answers as to who was behind all of this.

This time, I couldn’t just sit around and shout words of encouragement to rally everybody together as a group.

I had to find the mastermind.

 

I laid over on my side and stared at the shelves next to my bed. They were empty, of course. I hadn’t taken any books from the library since the one under my bed.

There was nothing to look at, so I rolled back onto my back and stared at the ceiling once more.

… What did I expect would happen? The mastermind would get bored and just reveal themselves? Some clue to them would somehow fall through the ceiling?

I was about to roll back onto my side and try to go back to sleep, when…

[Ding, dong]

 

My doorbell rang.

I pushed myself to my feet and opened the door, finding Seiryo outside.

“Huh…?” I said. “Seiryo…?”

“I… wanted to apologise for the previous trial and how I acted before, and how I wasn’t there for you last night,” Seiryo said. “Delawyn told me what happened.”

I felt a lump form in my throat. “Did she…?”

“She told me you went to her room after I didn’t answer the door, and you spent the night in there,” Seiryo replied. “I don’t think right now would be the right time, but if you’d like… I think it’d be beneficial to continue trying to aid your anxiety.

“Y-Yeah, I do as well…” I replied. “But yeah, I think we should both sleep for now.”

I paused for a moment, before adding, “… Thanks, Seiryo.”

 

Seiryo nodded, and I shut the door. I went back over to my bed and lay back down... and fell asleep soon after my head hit the pillow.

 

**[MONOKUMA THEATRE]**

“Do you ever just get that feeling of déjà vu?”

“Like you’ve been somewhere before?”

“Or even something like déjà vu, but you’re looking at it from a different perspective.”

“Does that have a word for it?”

“Eh. It probably has a German word for it. I reckon I could google it.”

“Except I can’t. I’m a bear, and my fuzzy wuzzy paws don’t allow for easy typing.”

“So I guess we’ll never truly know the truth behind déjà vu.”

**[MONOKUMA THEATRE]**

“Ahem- attention, all lunatics! It is now 7am! The cafeteria and dining hall have been unlocked,” Monokuma announced. “Please, let’s all have a wonderful day together!” The monitors shut off as Monokuma finished his morning announcement.

 

I groaned as the morning announcement woke me up, and for a moment clasped the pillow over my ears in hopes of more sleep.

But my whole body just felt icky and gross after failing to shower for two days, and I couldn’t stay down longer than a half-hour.

I pushed myself to my feet, tossed my sleeping clothes aside, and went to the shower room, turning the taps and letting warm water flow over my body.

 

After washing my body and hair, I couldn’t help but just sit there for a few more minutes, lost in my own thoughts.

 

 

It hadn’t taken long for me to get utterly obsessed with the idea of finding the mastermind… if there even was one. What if I was wrong? What if we were all wrong? What if there was no mastermind among us? Kidnapping people like us and keeping us here… there was no way that could be the work of one person, could it?

But what if that was what the mastermind wanted me to think? That there was no way one of my classmates could be behind all this? Or what if there was a representative of the organization keeping us here? Was there even an organization? Why had the police not found us? We were an entire class of high school students, and not only that, but a Hope’s Peak class… The Tragedy had ended ages ago. Surely everything was alright…?

But none of us had any memories of the Tragedy. The only one of us that had regained any memories from it was Airou. None of us could ask him about it anymore, and I’m not even sure he would tell us if we could. The solution to our problem could’ve been anything, and any _one_ could’ve been responsible.

It felt like there was no correct answer, nothing to grab onto and weave a web of thoughts out of…

 

I was startled out of my thoughts by the sound of my doorbell ringing again.

Without thinking, I got out of the shower. My hand had nearly turned the handle of my door before remembering I should probably put a towel on, at least.

The doorbell rang another three times as I put the towel around my body, and I quickly headed back and answered.

Dai stood outside my door, and it didn’t take long for her to avert her eyes.

“… Sorry. It’s been a while, and we weren’t sure if you were coming to breakfast,” she said.

“I am, I am,” I said. “Wait, how long has it been if you’re here?”

“Well, the morning announcement was about forty-five minutes ago…”

Shit, had I really just been lost in my own thoughts for nearly fifteen minutes in the shower?!

“Right, I’ll come to breakfast as soon as I can!” I shut the door after waving goodbye to Dai.

 

In slightly more of a rush, I tossed my towel onto my bed and pulled a spare change of clothes out of the closet. I quickly tossed them on, tied my hair up, and headed off to the dining hall.

 

What met me there was… something I didn’t expect. The outskirt tables were completely unoccupied.

Kokuro sat at the central table instead, along with the others. She didn’t seem to be happy about doing so, but her expression seemed to indicate that this was a choice of hers, rather than being forced to sit down at the middle table.

“Finally,” Kenji said.

“Sorry, I needed a shower and got carried away…” I said, scratching the back of my neck.

“Well, you’re here now,” Hisoka said, his smile as bright and laidback as ever.

“Now we’re just waiting on Satoko.” Kadiri twirled an unlit cigarette between her fingers, and the pink colour and sweet aroma indicated its true nature to me.

“You really think she’ll come to breakfast this morning?” Delawyn asked, as I took a seat beside her. “Her brother hasn’t even been d… _gone_ , for twenty-four hours.”

“I did ring her doorbell as well when I went to get Maemi, but she didn’t respond,” Dai said.

“So… it’ll just be us nine today?” Seiryo asked.

“Looks like it…” Kenji replied, leaning his arms onto the table.

Nine…

There’d been almost double that to start with, and only Satoko’s presence was missing because she was in her room…

Just how many of us were going to die here…? Would… would my luck eventually run out? Would someone I care about deeply die?

Would… **I** die?

 

“Deep breaths, Maemi,” Seiryo said, giving a gentle smile from across the table. I hadn’t realised that my jaw was trembling and that my breath was quickening.

I did as he asked, planting my hands firmly on the table, and trying to quiet my worries. It wasn’t easy… but I’d come to expect that from trying to control my anxiety. I told myself that it would be fine. Nobody else would die. We’d find out who or what’s behind all this and save everyone else.

It would be okay.

It would be okay.

It would be okay…

 

“S-Sorry I’m late, everyone…” A voice said from the door.

Nine collective heads turned around to face the dining room door, seeing Satoko close the door behind her, looking… not much different to yesterday. If this were an anime, a manga, or a game of some kind, I would’ve expected some symbolic change. Leaving her hair out, or removing her mask, as a show of a character moving on. But she looked no different to yesterday.

The only difference was she was actually _speaking_ to us, rather than signing everything or remaining silent.

“So, you _were_ coming to breakfast…” Kokuro said.

“What she means is, we didn’t think you were coming,” Kadiri added.

“Sorry if it seemed that way.” Satoko headed over to the central table with all of us, taking one of the only empty seats left.

She put on a brave face for us all, and her voice was clear, if still raspy – probably her natural voice, I told myself. But at this distance, we could all clearly see that her eyes and the edges of her mask were stained with recent tears.

“Didn’t mean it as a bad thing. If anything, it’s pretty bloody amazing you’re here at all,” Kokuro said.

“Y-Yeah, and we’re glad to have you here, Satoko!” Hiroshi said.

Satoko nodded, and from the creases beneath her mask, she also gave the slightest hints of a smile.

God, the amount of strength it’s got to be taking her to even be here…

 

“… I understand if it’s too much for you, but if you wanted, we could perform another prayer for your brother and Aeko,” Delawyn said.

“I… I’m not sure. About holding hands, is all.” Satoko scratched at her knuckle.

“We don’t have to if you don’t feel comfortable,” Delawyn said.

“… I’ll d-“

Satoko was cut off as an unfortunately familiar bear landed on the dining table from the ceiling with a loud thud.

“It’s so lovely to see a class get along like this! Well, half a class, anyway.”

 

“You _again?_ Leave us alone already!” Kokuro stood up from her seat and pushed her palms into the table.

“You don’t have to yell at me, y’know… And here I thought we were finally going to get along,” Monokuma replied.

“We’d probably get along a lot better if you weren’t holding us hostage for some lunatic!” I stood up as well. “Who’s controlling you, anyway?”

“Controlling me?” Monokuma said.

“We all know about Junko Enoshima. Obviously, she’s not controlling you on the accounts of being dead, but someone must have taken her place to organize this situation,” Delawyn said, remaining seated.

“I have literally no idea what you’re talking about. Or maybe I do. Egggh… I’ll need a day to set it straight. I’ve been suffering memory loss recently,” Monokuma said. “I feel all feverish and the skin under my fur’s grown rashy and red.”

Everyone slid their chair back in unison at least a foot, and I watched Kenji sail backwards in his wheelchair until he hit the wall. Dai had also slid back a considerable distance.

“Anyway… Hm, I was here for a reason… Trial, something…” Monokuma tapped at his chin.

“Uh… new trial rules?” Hiroshi suggested.

“New floor?” Kadiri added.

“That was it! The fourth floor has opened up for you bastards! Aren’t I kind?” Monokuma asked.

He got no response.

“Phooey, I put in all this work for you guys and you’re so ungrateful… Well, I guess four chapters in isn’t the time for everyone to say, ‘Thank you, daddy Monokuma’!” Monokuma grinned, or I assumed he was supposed to be grinning.

“Don’t ever fucking say that again!” Hisoka shouted.

“Huh? Say what?” Monokuma asked.

“You know what! ‘Thank you, daddy Monokuma’!”

“You’re welcome!”

“I- what, **no**!”

“Well, have fun with whatever it is I just said, kids!”

And with that, Monokuma disappeared.

 

“Is it even worth checking out?” Kokuro leaned back in her chair, balancing it on its two back legs.

“As opposed to sitting on our asses doing nothing?” Kadiri pulled the chair off-balance, tipping it over – though rather than go down with the chair, Kokuro tumbled out with a graceful manoeuvre.

“You’ve got a point. Maybe if we all stand up, we can dislodge the stick from your arse,” Kokuro retorted.

“And maybe we’d find a room where we can slap some sense into your circus freak ‘arse’,” Kadiri narrowed her eyes.

“Stop arguing,” Delawyn said. “There may be more dangerous objects on the fourth floor, and Kokuro’s hesitance is understandable, but we may as well investigate as a group rather than risk someone finding those objects on their own.”

“You guys go ahead. At three flights of stairs, getting up them is going to be a pain,” Kenji said.

“I’m not so sure about that,” Seiryo stood at the door, holding it ajar and staring out towards the stairwell. “There’s that ramp Monokuma mentioned a few days ago.”

 

Frowning, Kenji wheeled himself over to the door, which Seiryo held open. Kenji narrowed his eyes at Seiryo, before glancing out into the hall.

“… Huh. You’re right,” he said, though his expression didn’t soften. Seiryo didn’t miss it, either.

“Have I done something to offend you?” Seiryo pushed his glasses up.

“Your talent,” Kenji responded. “It’s why I’m in this damn chair...”

“I apologise, but I cannot change my talent.”

“I know.” Kenji wheeled himself out into the hall, and the rest of us decided to follow him up the stairs.

 

After seemingly an eternity of stairs, and me giving Delawyn and Hisoka an astonished glance at the fact they’d barely broken a sweat from the three flights, we all arrived on the fourth floor. There was a red wall to my left, and ahead we saw yet another opening along the railings. Kadiri leaned over them, clutching tightly to the rail.

“I’m hoping you all figured this out, but if you haven’t, don’t fall down,” she said.

“There’s something strange about this door,” Seiryo said. Frowning, I walked along the edge of the red wall to where he was talking about. As I turned the corner, the wallpaper also changed, turning white and black, the colours separated by a red door. Instead of a traditional lock mechanism, there was a chip reader on the door.

“What do you think it’s for?” I asked.

Dai stepped forward, tracing the chip reader with her finger. “Given the colours, I’d say it has some significance to Monokuma.”

“Guess there’s one way to find out,” Kokuro said, before stomping her foot and calling out. “HEY! MONO-BITCH!”

For a moment, there was no response. The rest of us started to look around, to see if he had decided to hide.

“… Is he just not coming?” Kadiri asked.

“Don’t you know it’s rude to interrupt someone when they’re brushing their teeth?” Monokuma said, sitting on the railings with a toothbrush in his hand.

“Whatever. What’s the door for?” Kokuro asked, gesturing behind her.

“Huh. I don’t remember this door,” Monokuma said.

“Like hell you don’t. Why is it here?” Delawyn asked.

“Hey, I don’t ask _you_ guys to tell me about the Ri-… Real Estate market!”

Delawyn frowned, narrowing her eyes at Monokuma. “Continue what you were going to say before that.”

“I don’t remember this door, but maybe it’ll come to me later,” Monokuma tilted his head.

Delawyn shook her head. “Kokuro, anything else you want to ask him?”

“No, just tell him he’s a prick,” Kokuro replied.

“Monokuma, you’re a prick,” Delawyn said.

Monokuma sunk his head to the floor. “It hurts when it’s by someone you never expected…” 

Before any of us could ask anything else, he disappeared again.

 

“We’re a bit low on people this time, aren’t we?” Seiryo asked.

“We are. I don’t think it’d be a nightmare to send us off in pairs,” Delawyn said.

Kenji blew a raspberry. “It’s not gonna kill me to go on my own.”

“Perhaps, but there is safety in numbers. I shall accompany you,” Dai said.

I raised my hand. “Uh, could I go with Hisoka?”

“Don’t see why not,” Hisoka responded, giving me a thumbs-up and a grin.

“I’ll go with Kadiri, then,” Delawyn said.

“Kokuro, are you gonna partner up?” Seiryo asked.

Kokuro sighed. “Fine, with you.”

“And that leaves me with Satoko, I think,” Hiroshi said. If there was one group that I didn’t expect murder to happen in, it was that one.

 

“Alright, how about we meet back in front of the weird door when we’re all done?” I asked. “Just so we don’t have to head all the way back down to the dining hall.”

“Sounds good,” Delawyn said. “Any objections?”

“A longer walk is likely better for one’s health, but aside from that, none here,” Dai said.

“Besides, we might find something about it by exploring,” Seiryo said.

 

With that, everyone started exploring. Most of us went down the hallway on our right, but Hisoka and I were more curious about the door to the left, away from presumably the Mastermind’s Lab – at least, that’s what I was going to call it for the time being.

We opened the door, and found several rows of metal shelves, with different things stacked all over them. Ropes, empty notepads, packets of pens, book dividers, cameras, threads, matches, marbles, several rolls of tape, buttons, medical masks, generic socks, extra blankets and pillows; just to name a few of the items strewn across the shelves. It didn’t seem like there was any rhyme or reason for all this stuff to be here, it was just-

“A storage room,” I finished my thoughts out loud.

Hisoka huffed, a tight-lipped smile on his face and a box of the matches in his hand. “‘100 matches, perfect for the Ultimate Arsonist in all of us’? That’s an odd description.”

I shrugged, heading over to the notepads. “If Monokuma put these out, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was his idea of a joke.”

“Weird joke, even for him. Who ever heard of an Ultimate Arsonist?” Hisoka smiled nervously, following me further into the storage room.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if there was one, somewhere,” I said, picking up one of the notepads and a packet of pens. “Hope’s Peak recruited me, after all.”

“What’s the notepad and pen for?” Hisoka asked.

“Taking notes,” I replied. “Or just doodling in. I just feel like I should have one.”

“Fair enough,” Hisoka replied. “I don’t think there’s much else we can do here for now.”

“Me neither. Let’s go to that room at the back of the hall,” I said.

 

We both left the storage room and headed over to the room on the other side of the hallway.

Inside, there was a single chair situated at a desk taking up the entire back wall of the room. On the desk was a single keyboard, and along the back wall were a ton of screens, all displaying rooms from the asylum. I could see everyone’s bedroom, the dining hall, everybody’s Ultimate labs – including 4 I didn’t recognise – the pool, views of every floor… Some displays were completely black, though, and I couldn’t see any displays of the changing rooms or any of the bathrooms, whether communal or our own private bathrooms.

Dai and Kenji were also inside.

“This must be the security room, right?” I said.

“Looks like it…” Kenji replied, leaning across the desk.

“It could be useful, but I don’t see any records of what’s already been filmed,” Dai said. “There’s also no cameras in the fourth floor hallway, or of this security room itself.”

“Um… Let me test something. Hisoka, go back to the storage room. Could you find the camera and wave at it, and then come back?” I asked.

“Sure, one sec,” Hisoka said, before racing out of the security room. I scanned the feeds until I saw the one of the storage room we were just in. A few seconds later, a mini-Hisoka appeared on the screen, and after a few more, he turned to the camera and started waving to it.

“Alright, so it’s a live feed,” I said, as the mini-Hisoka left the storage room.

“This is an odd advantage for Monokuma to just give out,” Dai said.

“Bweh… maybe, but… it’s still an advantage,” Kenji said.

The doors opened, and Hisoka rushed back into the storage room.

“So, did you see me?” He asked.

“Yep! Thank you, Hisoka,” I said. “We know now it’s a live feed, thanks to you.”

Hisoka grinned, giving a thumbs up. “Happy to help!”

I turned to the feed, looking at the new rooms I didn’t recognise. “Um… where to next, Hisoka?”

“I’d like to check out that room,” Hisoka said, pointing to a display of a room with several light fixtures and a desk with several blocks of paper on it.

“Alright, lead the way!” I said.

 

Finding a room based on its contents was difficult. Hisoka and I went down the corridor everybody else had when we split up. We found another locked door before we found the room we were looking for. I speculated that because only one other person had died before their Ultimate Lab was revealed, that the locked lab would have to be Kinzo’s.

I couldn’t help but wonder how he’d have reacted to it…

Eventually, however, we came to the room we were searching for. I pushed open the door.

The light fixtures were only part of the story. There was a plain white wall along the back of the room, even though the rest of the rooms were a rich burgundy colour. The desks also had scalpels and scissors on them that were too small to be seen with the security footage. I also saw a bunch of standing spotlights along the wall, and a quick test of my strength proved I could carry them pretty easily. It was structured like an Ultimate lab…

Hiroshi and Satoko were also inside.

“Whose lab is this?” I asked.

“By the looks of it… I don’t know much about shadow puppeteering, but I think this is your lab, Maemi,” Hiroshi said.

“M-My lab? Why would my talent need a lab?” I asked.

“Does it matter? You’re an Ultimate,” Hisoka said.

“Yeah, but- a lab for shadow puppeteering?” I replied.

“It’s… still a talent that needs practice, right?” Satoko asked.

“W-Well… okay, I guess you’re right,” I conceded. “Still, I don’t know how much time I’ll really spend here…”

“That’s fair,” Hisoka said. “You think Dee’ll wanna see your talent? I know I do.”

“Maybe,” I said. “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to ask her.”

We didn’t really have much else to do in this room…

 

We left my lab and decided to go directly across the hallway.

In the room were… well, I wasn’t sure if I recognised everything. There were trapezes and hoops hanging from the ceiling, and below that were several soft tumbling mats. A set of pins were lined up against the back of the wall, and along one of the walls was a rock-climbing wall. In the corner of the room was a music player, similar to the one in Hisoka’s lab.

Seiryo and Kokuro were also inside, the latter hanging upside-down by her leg from one of the hoops. Her skirt had slid up her torso, showing black boyshorts underneath.

“Can you get down?” I asked, not entirely sure if I should avert my eyes to avoid being chewed out.

“I don’t ask you if you can make a bunny rabbit shadow on the wall, do I?” Kokuro snapped back. Okay, wrong thing to ask. I also think it’s safe to assume this is Kokuro’s lab.

“Are you sure? You’ve been up there for five minutes,” Seiryo mentioned.

“I’m fine, I’m- Ugh. Bloody hell. I can’t.” Kokuro’s arms hung limp at her sides and annoyance was clear on her face.

“Here, Maemi, I can probably lift you on my shoulders. See if you can push her to the next hoop,” Seiryo said.

Seiryo knelt down, and nervously, I climbed up onto his shoulders. As Seiryo straightened his back, both of us realised that this was a terrible decision by teenagers with few other options. I’m pretty sure I was heavier than he was expecting, and my balance was terrible.

I quickly reached over and gave Kokuro as hard a push as I could. And from there, both I and Seiryo fell to the floor.

“Ow…” I said, rubbing at my head. “Um… Seiryo, you okay?”

“Yeah, I think I just bruised my arm. Good thing the mats were here,” Seiryo replied.

“Well, yeah. Hard to stick a bloody net in this small a space, so mats are the next best option,” Kokuro said, landing on the floor in front of us on her feet.

“Ah, good, you’re down,” Hisoka said.

“Yep. Dunno why the hoops are so bloody small. They’re more like props than actual hoops,” Kokuro said.

“Weird… You think Monokuma just made a mistake?” I asked.

“Wouldn’t put it past him to have done it on purpose, honestly,” Kokuro replied.

 

I didn’t think we had anything else to do in this room, so we left and went to the one adjacent across the hall.

Kadiri’s voice reached our ears before the visuals of the room.

“No, no! You’re not showing _nearly_ enough tense emotion for a final showdown!”

“With all due respect,” Delawyn began, “this isn’t my field of expertise, putting it mildly.”

The stage made it clear whose lab this was, as did the curtains either side of the stage. Some film cameras laid in the corner, and it looked like they could be arranged freely. Along the wall to my right were a ton of backdrops and props from various settings, from old western to cyberpunk to fantasy. Along the right were an equally varied array of costumes, including a really pretty pink ballgown. It’d be really cute to see either Kadiri or Delawyn in it…

Damnit, Maemi. She already said no. Don’t ruin a friendship any more than you have.

“Maybe I could take her place, if she’s uncomfortable with it?” I asked.

“I dunno, if we’re gonna have a referee, I’d kind of prefer Hisoka,” Kadiri said.

“So it’s a sports movie?” Hisoka asked.

“Are your eyes just for show? That tumbleweed _obviously_ means this is a Western,” Kadiri retorted.

“Hey- that’s the only indication for setting at all!” Hisoka shouted.

“Are you gonna referee or not?” Delawyn asked.

“I… think I’ll pass. I’m not a great actor,” Hisoka said.

“Huh. Wouldn’t have thought it, the way you seem to adore the spotlight,” I remarked.

“I like the spotlight when it’s on me, y’know? Besides, dancing’s more my thing anyway. Hell, I can’t even sing,” Hisoka said.

“I’m sure it’s not that bad. C’mon, show us,” Kadiri said, getting down from the stage.

“Alright, alright,” Hisoka said. He took a deep breath…

… and what came out could only be described as a vocal disaster. Only the timing was on point. Notes were off, and it just sounded… awful. Sorry, Hisoka, but you’re right. You really can’t sing.

“ **You can stop now** ,” Delawyn said, also hopping down from the stage.

“Right, right, sorry,” Hisoka said.

“This dress is really pretty, though,” I said, trying to quickly change the subject. “How many layers are underneath it?”

I’d started pulling up the skirt to check for myself, before Kadiri smoothed the skirt down in front of me.

“Rude to pull up a girl’s skirt, don’t you think?” She flashed a grin.

“Okay, if you were wearing it, yeah, but I didn’t think it was that bad on just a mannequin…” I shrugged. “Maybe you could check it out?”

“Alright, stand back up,” Kadiri replied. As I stood up, she crouched down and looked underneath.

“… About seven layers,” Kadiri announced, after a few moments, crawling back out.

“It’s really pretty,” I said.

Kadiri grinned. “You said that already, Maemi.”

 

I think that’s all for this room…

 

Hisoka and I returned to the strange door, Delawyn and Kadiri not far behind us. Everyone else had already returned.

“So, we’ve all seen everything?” I asked.

“Yep. There’s not much this time. Four Ultimate labs, one of which we can’t access, and that process of elimination tells us was supposed to be Kinzo’s,” Seiryo said.

“There’s also a security room,” Dai said. “It’s got clearance of most of the asylum, but there’s no surveillance of the change rooms, the fourth floor hallway, or any of the bathrooms.”

“Which is weird, because there’s definitely cameras there,” Hisoka said. “You got any idea how unnerving it is to be constantly watched in the shower?”

“Yep.” Kenji huffed.

“Um… there’s also a big storage room full of a bunch of different things. It’s like a mini-Daiso, almost,” Hiroshi said.

“Except all the items are worth ‘your freedom’ rather than 100 yen,” Kokuro added.

“And that leaves just this room,” Delawyn said, pointing to the door behind us. We had no idea what awaited us on the other side, if we could even get in.

“Did we check if we could get in?” Hisoka asked.

Delawyn didn’t respond but turned the knob. It made a thunking sound as she twisted it from side to side.

“Locked, and it’s not a traditional lock. It needs a chip to unlock,” she announced.

“So… there’s nothing else we can do right now?” I asked.

“Not right now. I suggest we just try to go about our days as usual,” Delawyn said.

“Alright. I mean, if it can’t be helped, it can’t be helped,” Seiryo said.

We all started to disperse, heading back down the stairs and wandering around the asylum.

 

I have a lot of time to kill today…

I wandered around the asylum for a while, before finding Satoko in her lab. She was silent, focused entirely on a wooden carving.

“Hey, Satoko, do you want to hang out for a while?” I asked.

“Uh- y- I wouldn’t mind…” Satoko said.

 

I watched Satoko carve intricate vines into a wooden pole for a while…

 

It seems me and Satoko got a little closer today.

 

“Um…” I stammered, frowning for a moment and trying to think of topics that wouldn’t offend Satoko. She looked at me expectantly.

“What kind of sculpting is your favourite?” I asked.

“… Y-you can be honest with me,” Satoko replied.

“I- It’s- I don’t want to be- I don’t want to hurt you…” I stammered again.

“… It’s about my brother?” Satoko said.

My head sunk low. “It is. I wanted to know how you were handling it.”

Satoko clenched her skirt in her fists. “Not well.” Despite bringing the attention onto the subject, she quickly changed it. “Why do you want to talk to me anyway? Everyone else has a much nicer voice…”

That’s not true at all. But how can I convey that to Satoko?

  1. Nobody minds how your voice sounds
  2. **I really like the husky tone**
  3. Who told you your voice was bad?



“I really like the husky tone…” I confessed.

“You don’t have to lie to me,” Satoko said.

“I’m not, I swear! I think it’s really cute!” I held up my hands defensively. “It’s really unique, too…”

Satoko cast her gaze to the floor, then back at me. “It… it’s hard to believe that, even though you’re not the type to lie.”

“One day, I want to help you believe what I think, Satoko,” I said.

A silence hung between us for a few moments. I wouldn’t be able to solve her self-esteem issues in one day, but I meant what I said.  

“… Are you going to be okay?” I asked, tilting my head.

“I… I will be,” Satoko replied. “… Thank you. For checking in on me.”

I gave a warm smile. “No problem! If you ever have anything you need from me or just someone to talk to, don’t hesitate to ask!”

 

I watched Satoko carve for a little while longer, before we both parted ways.

 

I still had some time left in the day…

I wandered around the asylum some more, eventually finding myself in the laundry room on the second floor, and finding Seiryo with several baskets of clothes.

“The door’s likely hiding the mastermind, but why would they show us the door out in the open?” Seiryo asked himself.

“Hey, Seiryo, do you want to hang out?” I asked.

“Sure thing,” Seiryo replied. “Maybe you could help with the laundry?”

 

I spent some time doing laundry and discussing theories with Seiryo…

 

It looks like me and Seiryo got a little closer today.

 

“So… Ultimate Doctor. That’s a pretty broad talent,” I said.

“True,” Seiryo said, “but I don’t remember any of the things I did as a doctor.”

“Well, you must’ve helped people,” I suggested.

“Doctors usually do,” Seiryo replied. “I just wish I could remember specifics about my talent.”

“I guess that’s fair…” I said. He didn’t like it when I suggested talents to him, so he probably won’t like it if I suggest things he _might_ have done as a doctor.

Eventually, I spoke again, with something concrete. “If it’s any consolation, I think you’ve helped a lot with my anxiety.”

Seiryo offered me a smile. “I’m glad I was able to do that.”

“I’m glad, too…” I paused. “… I’m sorry with how you found out, though.”

“What do you mean?” Seiryo asked.

“Um- actually, it might be a jump to a conclusion, but I thought something about Aeko’s case would’ve jogged your memory…” I replied.

“That’s a pretty good jump, then.” Seiryo pushed up his glasses and folded his arms. “It… was in that moment that I saw her injuries. It was like my mind went on autopilot. I… really thought I could save her.”

“I feel like, in any other situation, you would have,” I said, trying to make him feel better.

“This wasn’t any other situation, though. She died. We can’t change that,” Seiryo said.

He’s right. That… wasn’t the right thing to say.

“You tried to do the right thing. It didn’t succeed, but it’s not fair to blame yourself. You’re not exactly on duty, and none of us knew you were the Ultimate Doctor,” I said, taking another deep breath and clenching my fists. “Is it really any better to blame yourself? You might develop anxiety if you keep worrying about it.”

Seiryo was silent for a moment. That silence hung in the air between us for a few moments.

Finally, he spoke again. “You’ve got a point. I wish there was something I could’ve done, but… it’s in the past. There’s nothing that we can do now about it. We should keep moving forward.”

“Yep, that’s right! Aeko wanted to keep moving forward, so I think all of us should want to do the same!” I said.

 

I finished up with the laundry with Seiryo, before we went our separate ways.

 

There was still some time before the nighttime announcement, but I felt like lying down for a while. I headed back to my room, and threw myself down onto my bed.

As soon as my head hit the pillow, an idea came hurtling through my skull and into my brain.

 

**[HANGMAN’S GAMBIT – START!]**

**_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _**

**S T A K E O U T**

**[BREAK!]**

 

“Duh, Maemi!” I shouted to myself. But I couldn’t say my idea out loud, or it’d all be a bust.

I decided to go wake someone else up, however. I felt like having two people would be beneficial. Three or more, on the other hand… suspicious.

I got up out of my bed and went out into the hallway. It was probably predictable by this point, but I thought Delawyn would have way more experience with stakeouts than me. I walked over to Delawyn’s door, and rang the doorbell several times.

A few moments later, she came out, her hair still wet – from a shower, I presume. She looked as usual, aside from missing her jacket.

“Maemi?” Delawyn asked, frowning slightly.

“I’m sorry if this is inconvenient, but could you come with me?” I replied, holding out my hand.

“Alright, I don’t see why not,” Delawyn said, taking my hand.

 

The two of us headed up the stairs, all the way to the fourth floor. As soon as we stood in front of that strange door, I turned back to her.

“I thought of a way we might be able to catch the mastermind!” I said, keeping my voice down somewhat.

“I presume you mean we keep an eye on this door, because the mastermind’s likely to come over here now this floor’s open?” Delawyn replied.

“I- yeah, basically,” I said. “One of us could keep watch from the door to the surveillance room, the other could watch the security screens for suspicious activity.”

“… Alright. You keep an eye on the screens. I’ll watch the door,” Delawyn said, as we started walking towards the surveillance room.

“You got it!” I said, pushing open the door and letting Delawyn in, before heading in over to the screens myself. I sat on the chair and crossed my legs, dutifully watching all the screens and trying to find everybody first. Everyone else seemed to be either getting ready for bed, or already asleep.

It felt… a little weird to be watching everybody sleep.

The glow of the monitors came over the rooms with presumably the nighttime announcement. Odd, that it didn’t play in here… I paid it little mind and kept watching all of the screens.

No sign of Monokuma, no sign of the Mononurses. No signs of anything out of the ordinary. No mastermind coming up the stairs…

Time passed. How much time, I wasn’t sure. I was getting drowsy… maybe I should’ve stocked up on coffee before trying this stakeout. But I didn’t want to disappoint Delawyn or make her try and do two things at once.

Minutes turned to ten minutes, to hours… I think. I was losing track. It was harder and harder to focus on the screens…

I didn’t think anybody had moved. The beds seemed full of my sleeping classmates.

I opened my phone to check the time. I couldn’t read it, my eyes were going blurry…

I sank back into the chair slightly. A little rest of my eyes wouldn’t hurt, and if Delawyn saw something, she’d tell me…

I heard a dull thud before everything went dark.

 

**[LOVE HOTEL]**

…

Where am I now?

Am I asleep? I feel like I am asleep.

Why can’t I wake up?

Wait. I’ve seen this room before. That one room on the second floor… wasn’t it called the Love Hotel?

Kadiri stands between me and the bed. It takes most of my willpower to not look at some of the more… interesting things around the place.

So… I think I get it. Every time I’m here, I play the role of the other person’s fantasy.

What kind of things does Kadiri enjoy, anyway…?

 

“Maemi,” Kadiri says, looking directly at me.

“Yeah?” I ask back, tilting my head.

“Are you absolutely sure about this role for me? It does involve more physical activity than I’m used to, and I’m not allowed to smoke on set,” Kadiri said.

Am… I Kadiri’s manager or something?

“Um… ahem. Very sure. It’s a leading role, and you’ll be able to smoke all you want in your trailer,” I said. “It’s also got a big name director behind it, so the chances of it winning awards is pretty high.”

I wasn’t sure exactly what was coming out of my mouth. I just hoped it made sense to Kadiri.

“Mmnh…” Kadiri sat down on the bed, slipping a cigarette between her fingers. “And the physical activity?”

“We can find you a stunt double,” I said. “I know she won’t look as amazing as you, but it’ll just be for the really big action shots. You’d still be the star.”

“Really, Maemi. How many people look like me?” Kadiri gestured to her entire body.

“I mean, Kyouko Kirigiri doesn’t look too different if you both put your hair down and stood at a distance…” I said.

Kadiri huffed. “Kyouko Kirigiri? Good luck getting her, a _detective_ , to agree to a _movie_ of all things.”

I folded my arms and pouted. “I’m trying my best! I don’t see you suggesting stunt doubles for yourself!”

Kadiri stuck the cigarette in her mouth, lighting the end. “… You’re right. I guess sticking a wig on someone won’t be so bad.”

I wasn’t exactly sure where my newfound surge of assertiveness had come from, but I wasn’t exactly willing to let it go, either. Was an assertive manager Kadiri’s ideal?

“Trust me, this role will bring in audiences worldwide by the hundreds,” I said.

“Maybe,” Kadiri began, lowering her cigarette, “but I’m not so sure about the kissing screen in the script. Is it necessary?”

“I can’t exactly change the script,” I said. “What’s wrong with the kissing scene?”

“It’s with a girl,” Kadiri said matter-of-factly. “I mean, I can do it. I just prefer kissing guys.”

I went quiet for a moment. I had hoped Kadiri might be interested in girls… but if I tell her that, it might wake us both up, and it’d be painful for her.

“I… can’t exactly promise I can get the kiss out of the script,” I began. “But I’ll at least try to get it out of the script.”

A smile snaked its way onto Kadiri’s lips, and she looked me in the eyes. “Thank you.”

There was a silence in the air between us for a moment, just both of us focused on the other.

Kadiri tipped her hand, dropping the cigarette onto the floor and stamping it out. “You know, Maemi. I don’t think I’ve ever told you this, but… I do value you as my manager. You know exactly how to handle both yourself and my career. You don’t force me to change, but don’t let me walk all over you. Managers like you are hard to find.”

“T-thank you?” I said, nervously, before clearing my throat. Assertive, Maemi… “I’m just trying to do what’s best for you, so the fact you value me so much… I’m really grateful for your words, Kadiri.”

Kadiri grinned at me, showing a row of pearly white teeth. “I don’t plan on giving you up anytime soon, either, so enjoy my company!”

I laughed. “I will.”

It wasn’t a lie. Even in the real world, even when she’s rude and full of herself, I’m sure I’ll enjoy Kadiri’s company.

**[LOVE HOTEL]**

**[MONOKUMA THEATRE]**

“Repetition leads to desensitization, they say.”

“I don’t feel like that’s accurate.”

“If you burn your hand on a stove fifty times, it’s still going to hurt.”

“You might have even burned you hand so bad,”

“that it has to come off.”

“That doesn’t sound like something one could be desensitized to.”

“The same goes for jumpscares.”

“The horror of jumpscares is cheap, but you’ll usually jump.”

“And one last example is me.”

“I’ve shown up for so many of these segments I’ve lost count.”

“You’ve ignored my theatres from the start, haven’t you?”

“Are you even listening now?”

“Bah. I could tell you who’s pulling the strings and you wouldn’t listen.”

**[MONOKUMA THEATRE]**

“Ahem- attention, all lunatics! It is now 7am! The cafeteria and dining hall have been unlocked,” Monokuma announced. “Please, let’s all have a wonderful day together!” The monitors shut off as Monokuma finished his morning announcement.

 

I blinked blearily, opening my eyes. I was lying on my bed… I was still in my clothes, and I was on top of the covers.

Wait, wasn’t I in the security room before?

…

Oh god. I fell asleep.

After coming up with the brilliant idea of a stakeout, I fucking fell asleep during it.

“Damnit!” I thrust myself to my feet, slapping my forehead. “Brilliant fucking work, Maemi.”

I decided to only take a quick shower and just head out to the dining hall as soon as possible.

 

When I arrived, I was kind of glad I was one of the earlier ones to arrive again. Delawyn, Dai, and Hiroshi were the only ones up at the moment.

“Morning,” I said, giving a smile – a guilty smile, one that couldn’t meet Delawyn’s gaze.

“Morning,” she returned, though she didn’t look angry with me, somehow…

“Good morning!” Hiroshi said, clapping his hands together.

“Indeed. Good morning,” Dai said.

“Are you alright? No headache or anything?” Delawyn asked, as the doors opened behind us. Hisoka, Kadiri, and Satoko filed through into the dining hall.

“Huh? Why do you ask?” I replied.

“… You took me to your lab last night to show me some of your shadow-puppeteering shows,” Delawyn quickly replied. “I kept you up late, and you passed out during a performance and hit your head on a light.”

It was a lie, but I could see why she said it.

“Right, right… I don’t think I have a headache,” I said. “Did you carry me back to my room?”

“I did,” Delawyn said. “I did have to go through your pockets to find your ID, though.”

“That’s okay… thank you,” I said, as Kenji, Seiryo, and Kokuro filed into the dining hall as well.

 

“That’s all of us, then…” Dai said.

“What should we do for breakfast?” Seiryo asked.

“Food, preferably…” Kenji said.

“Obviously, food!” Hisoka replied.

“Um… I could try, but I don’t know if I’d be any good…” Hiroshi said.

“No reason we couldn’t just all make our own,” Kokuro said.

“There is a reason, the kitchen would be cramped as hell,” Kadiri said.

“Um… I could try?” I offered. “I can’t really cook, but surely Monokuma has a cookie recipe somewhere.”

“Cookies for breakfast?” Seiryo asked.

I pouted. “Alright, not my best idea, but it’s food, right?”

“I… don’t think I’d mind,” Satoko said. I looked at her again, and her mask was still wet around the top edges with tears…

“Yeah, I don’t mind either!” Hiroshi said.

“Alright, then it’s settled!” I said.

“We didn’t- Ugh. Whatever,” Kokuro sunk into her seat and rested herself on the table.

I’d already headed into the kitchen to get started. Finding the ingredients wasn’t too hard, and it wasn’t long before I’d baked about 3 cookies per person still here.

Not a great breakfast health-wise, but it would probably put everyone in good spirits. Hopefully.

I came back out with the tray of cookies, using a teatowel as an oven mitt, and shoved the tray onto the table.

“They’re still a little hot-“

I was cut off by Kenji, shooting one of the most incredulous glances I’ve ever seen at me. “A **little** hot?”

“Oookay, very hot,” I said. “I guess don’t eat them right away unless you can handle it, but you know when you get them really warm and the chocolate’s still kind of half-melted? That’s the best time to eat them, in my opinion.”

“We didn’t ask for your opinion or your baking,” Kadiri said. “Besides, my agent told me to swear off the junk food.”

“And smoke five times a day, apparently,” Dai mumbled.

“A few cookies won’t do shit, Kadiri,” I folded my arms and pouted at her. “If you don’t want them, I’m not gonna force you to have them. You can go make your own breakfast.”

Kadiri rolled her eyes at me, before leaning forward and grabbing a cookie. “… Eh. It’s not like we don’t have a gym for me to work it off, anyway.”

“That’s the spirit!” I said, sitting back down in my spot.

Delawyn took a cookie as well, turning it in her hands, before looking up at everyone. “… I don’t think we’ve eaten dinner as a group yet.”

Hisoka opened his mouth to protest, before pursing his lips and waving his finger through the air in imaginary calculations. “… You’ve got a point.”

“What’d be the point of having it together, anyway?” Kenji asked.

“Strengthening our bonds as a group,” Delawyn said, resting her chin on her free hand, and resting that elbow on the table. “I’m not a brilliant cook, but I’m willing to make the food.”

“I’d be willing to come down for dinner with everyone…” Hiroshi said.

“Didn’t realise Maemi’s words were so infectious towards you. Guess it makes sense, now you’re a thing,” Kokuro said.

“… Pardon me?” Delawyn asked.

“It’s like I said before. You and Maemi have been hanging out a lot recently, and we’ve all seen the way she looks at you,” Kokuro replied. “It’s pretty obvious she’s head-over-heels in love with you.”

“Maybe, but I don’t think Delawyn looks at her the same way,” Seiryo said.

“He’s right. I don’t feel the same way towards Maemi.” As Delawyn finished, she took a bite out of the cookie.

The pain of rejection still stung as if she’d taken a bite out of my skin instead. I understood her reasons, but it still hurt.

“However,” Delawyn said, after swallowing a bite. “I’d be lying if I said she’s not my friend.”

As soon as “friend” left her mouth…

… I felt that pain begin to heal.

I smiled widely towards her, reaching out and grabbing a cookie of my own from the tray.

Delawyn returned my smile, looking me directly in the eye. “…Not only that, she makes really nice cookies.”

 

Delawyn’s words were what convinced most of the rest of the table to reach out and grab a cookie for themselves.

“Bweh… I’ve had better, but these don’t suck.”

“S-she’s… not kidding…”

“Duh, it’s Dee! She couldn’t lie to save her life! Er- no offense.”

“Hehe. None taken.”

“Bloody hell… not bad.”

“I agree. Reminds me of my mother’s, to an extent. I’d argue Maemi could secretly be the Ultimate Baker.”

“Oh come on, I can’t be that good.”

“I’d normally argue against cookies for breakfast. It’s not exactly a good start to the day, but I suppose once in a while is fine.”

“A bit bland, but she has a point when it comes to the right time to eat them.”

 

Eventually, we’d all had our share of cookies, and as I looked around the table, nearly everybody had a smile on their face.

Internally, I sighed with relief. Had I finally achieved the goal of everybody being comfortable around each other?

“So… should we join up again for dinner?” I asked. “And if you need any help, Delawyn, I can help you.”

Everyone exchanged glances around the table, nodding to each other.

“I don’t think I’ll need help, but if you want to, I won’t stop you,” Delawyn said.

“Then it’s settled. We’ll meet back here at around six for dinner?” Seiryo offered.

“Sounds good,” Dai replied. “Any objections?”

No hands were raised. No voices were heard.

“Then we’ll see each other round six!” Hisoka said, grinning widely to the table and giving a thumbs-up. “And if you want, Dee, Maemi, I could give you both a hand!”

“What I said to Maemi applies. If you want to help, I won’t stop you,” Delawyn said, giving a smile.

 

As we all resolved to arrive back here by six, we started filing out of the dining hall, one by one, and spreading out over the asylum. I thought it was a little weird that Monokuma hadn’t given out his usual motive, but I wasn’t going to complain. The less motives to kill each other, the better our life here would be.

I have plenty of time before dinner tonight…

I spent some time walking around the asylum, before coming to the Ultimate Acrobat’s lab. Unsurprisingly, Kokuro was in there.

“Half these bloody things are crap…” Kokuro mumbled to herself.

“Hey, Kokuro, wanna hang out?” I asked.

“I guess. I can’t exactly stop you.” Kokuro replied.

 

I spent some time with Kokuro as she showed me some of her acrobat props…

 

… I think me and Kokuro got a little closer today, maybe?

 

“What did you even come to talk to me for?” Kokuro asked.

“I just wanted to get to know you better, honestly…” I replied.

“There’s not bloody much to talk about. I’m a circus performer. Every kid’s seen one,” Kokuro said.

“Yeah, but it’s not often you get one in your class,” I replied. I was doing my best to remain polite, but at the same time, I was asking my past self what she was thinking when she decided hanging out with Kokuro was a good idea.

“What’s there to know? I’m flexible and have excellent balance,” Kokuro said.

I pouted, deciding to let just a sliver of my true emotions through. “You don’t have to push me away, Kokuro.”

“I’m just telling the truth,” Kokuro said, folding her arms.

I decided that going down this path would just sour relationships further. Swiftly, I changed the subject. “What circus are you working in?”

“Guess I can tell you that much… Ever heard of Cirque de Mort-Vivant?” Kokuro asked.

“Who hasn’t?” I replied. “Wait- you work _there?_ ”

“You sound pretty bloody surprised, that the Ultimate Acrobat works at one of the most popular circuses throughout Japan.” Kokuro folded her arms.

“I mean- I expected you were good, but holy fuck, Cirque de Mort-Vivant? Hey, wasn’t the Ultimate Ringleader scouted last year from that circus, too?”

“Do you want to see me do a one-handed cartwheel?” Kokuro asked.

It was such a rapid subject change I almost felt like she’d struck me across the face with a whip. Maybe her ringleader was a sacred person to the circus?

“Uh… sure?” I said, deciding to just go along with it.

Kokuro delivered, pinning her left arm behind her back and cartwheeling onto her right. Her legs spun through the air with grace, before she stood back upright, taking a bow.

I clapped with a smile. “Well done!”

Kokuro scoffed. “Don’t patronise me. That was nothing.”

“W-Well, maybe for you, but for me that’d be amazing.”

“It’s not hard to cartwheel. Go on, try.”

Kokuro took a step back, and I bit my lip. Did… she want me to deliver, too?

I took a deep breath, extended both my hands, and did my best to cartwheel.

The good news is, I didn’t fall on my butt and fail entirely. The bad news is, I’m 90% sure that Kokuro has now seen my underwear, and there was no way I was as smooth as she was.

“… Yep, as I thought. Your body doesn’t have a bloody graceful bone in it,” Kokuro said. “Don’t worry. I won’t make you do it again.”

… I won’t lie. Part of me… kind of does want to learn how to hold my balance and be more graceful like Kokuro. Though if I have to take her attitude with it… I could live without.

 

 I spent a little more time with Kokuro, before we parted ways. I spent some more time wandering around the asylum, eventually finding myself in the gym, of all places. Probably just as surprising was finding Kenji there, too, his wheelchair parked next to the benchpress he was using.

“Forty-eight… forty-nine…” Kenji muttered to himself.

“Hey, Kenji, do you want to hang out?” I asked.

“Bweh… I lost count.” Kenji said.

 

I spent some time counting Kenji’s benchpresses…

 

I think Kenji and I got a little closer today.

 

“Why would you wanna hang out with me again?” Kenji asked. “I thought I made it clear that you can’t help me.”

“That’s the thing, Kenji. I want to help you. And if I can’t manage that, I at least want to be your friend,” I said.

“Why would you wanna be friends with me? I can’t offer you anything,” Kenji said.

“I don’t expect anything in return,” I said. “You’re my classmate, you deserve to be loved and respected.”

“There’s nothing _to_ respect about me,” Kenji said.

“You’re still here after such a horrible experience. That’s enough to respect you, and enough to want to see you do better,” I said.

“… The hell am I even gonna do to get better? This place doesn’t have a basketball lab,” Kenji said.

I had to wonder if that was true, and had to choose my next words carefully…

  1. **I’m sure one will show up soon**
  2. There has to be something that could substitute
  3. Isn’t just leaving your room and joining us enough?



“I’m sure one will show up soon,” I said.

“Bweh… why would it? Even if they did make a lab for me, it’d take up half a floor…” Kenji said.

“Yeah, but if they can make a lab for Hisoka, they can make one for you,” I said.

Kenji slumped his shoulders slightly. “I don’t see the point of them building a lab that its owner’ll never use…”

“That IS the point!” I replied.

“You’re the Ultimate Basketball Pro for a reason, and it’s sure as hell not tied to whether you have legs or not!” I said. “No number of careless adults making awful decisions can take that away from you, Kenji, but you need to put in effort to at least try!”

Kenji blew a raspberry, before sighing.

“… Fine. I’ll at least try to do laps up and down the hall every morning.”

“That’s the spirit!” I said, a giant smile appearing on my face. “And I’ll be willing to help you Kenji, to the best of my ability!”

“Bweh… Dunno how great that ability’ll be...” Kenji said. I wasn’t sure, but I thought I saw the slightest hints of a smile on his face…

 

I helped Kenji keep count of his bench presses for a little while longer, before we went our separate ways.

 

I left the gym and headed back downstairs, opening my phone to check the time.

…

Wait, it’s already 5:45?

Crap, I said I’d be there to help!

 

I sprinted down the staircase flights, bursting through the kitchen doors.

Delawyn and Hisoka were on the other side, already well into making some really nice smelling ramen. Hisoka was focused on the noodles and broth, while Delawyn was handling most of the toppings.

“S-Sorry, time got away from me…” I said.

“I told you, it’s fine. You didn’t have to show up at all. But since you did… You could probably help set the table and carry the food out,” Delawyn said.

“Or you could help me with this…” I heard Hisoka mumble.

“How hard is it to do the broth?” Delawyn asked.

“Pretty hard if this is your first time…” Hisoka said.

“You’ve never made ramen before?” I asked.

“Not… really?” Hisoka scratched the back of his head. “I’ve boiled the noodles before but that’s about it.”

“Alright, I’ll quickly go set the table, then I’ll help you, okay?” I said.

 

I didn’t wait for Hisoka’s response – I just left with as many pairs of chopsticks and as many napkins as I could carry.

When I entered the dining hall, Dai was already there.

“Oh, evening, Dai!” I said, starting to set the table.

“Good evening. Do you need any help?” Dai asked.

“No, I should be okay. Thank you anyway,” I said.

“Quite alright. I suspect the others will be here soon, though,” Dai replied.

“Yep, we’ll be ready when they arrive. Promise!” I said, ducking back into the kitchen.

 

“Bowls.” Delawyn pointed to a cabinet as soon as I walked back through the doors.

I did as she asked, quickly heading over to the cabinet, and taking out ten bowls, cradling them in my arms as I moved over to the counter to lay them out.

I’d only laid about five bowls before Hisoka came over with the broth, pouring it in almost as quickly as I was laying down the bowls. I decided to go grab the noodles, while Delawyn finished up with the toppings.

 

At the end of the ordeal, ten bowls of fairly delicious-looking ramen sat in front of the three of us.

“Alright… should I carry the bowls out? I know Dai’s already there,” I said.

“That’s probably best. I’ll hold the door for you,” Delawyn said.

“I’ll help carry the bowls out,” Hisoka added.

“Alright, let’s go!” I said.

Hisoka and I grabbed two bowls each. Delawyn opened the door, and the two of us filed into the dining area.

Hiroshi, Satoko, and Seiryo had arrived at some point as well, but there was still no sign of Kokuro, Kadiri, or Kenji. I hoped they’d find their way in.

“Alright, dinner’s here!” I said, smiling. “Though I think we should wait for the others.”

“I mean, it’d be rude to start without them, wouldn’t it?” Hisoka said.

“They’re usually late, though…” Hiroshi said.

“E-Even so…” Satoko said.

“It would be best to wait, I think,” Dai said.

“O-Okay, but it does smell really good…” Hiroshi pushed his fingers together.

“Don’t worry, we’ll be able to eat when we’re all here,” Seiryo said.

“Yeah, we will!” I said, ducking back into the kitchen and picking up another two bowls. Hisoka did the same, as Kokuro arrived and took a seat.

As Hisoka laid a bowl in front of her, Kenji wheeled himself into the dining hall. I quickly slipped a bowl into his space.

As Hisoka went back into the kitchen to get the last two bowls, one was shoved into his hands by Delawyn, the other one still on the counter. Delawyn took the bowl, walked into the dining hall, and sat down.

I looked down briefly at the one bowl left in my hands, before shrugging and sitting at one of the few empty spaces left. As I did so, Kadiri finally came through the doors.

“Had to redo my makeup. Forgot there’s probably not much point to wearing lipstick for a meal,” Kadiri said, flashing a grin.

“Bweh… just take a seat,” Kenji said.

Kadiri rolled her eyes, before sitting down at the table, finally completing the circle.

 

After thanking Delawyn and Hisoka for the meal, we all dug in, some of us with more gusto than others. Surprisingly, Kenji was one of those with “more gusto”.

I couldn’t blame him, though. It tasted amazing. Delawyn and Hisoka were really good cooks…

As we continued our meals, any sense of tenseness melted away to a calm dinner between friends. Like… we’d finally properly bonded as a group. Meetings weren’t full of suspicion, and even the most sceptical among us were okay with eating food cooked by other people.

However, as I was about to eat another slice of pork, something swiped it out of my chopsticks.

“Oh come on! You guys organise such a tasty dinner, and you forget to invite me?”

 

Goddamnit!

Why did this bear have to ruin everything?

“We didn’t forget to invite you. We were never going to,” Seiryo said.

“Wh-what use does a robotic bear have for eating, a-anyway?” Satoko asked.

“Beats me, but didn’t he eat an entire fish? Why doesn’t he stink like bloody rot?” Kokuro asked.

“Because I ate the fish, not rubbed it all over my body like a sexy striptease? Oh, the kids back in the day loved that. Do you kids want to see it, too?” Monokuma asked.

I slammed my hands on the table. “No way! Now why are you here, anyway?”

“Eh? That’s a good question. Why am I here?” Monokuma asked.

“Still going through his memory loss charade, it seems,” Seiryo said.

“Ah, right! I remembered something I should’ve told you kids!” Monokuma said, before pointing a paw at me and Delawyn. “You two kept saying something about a person controlling me!”

 

And despite the fact that I’d been so focused on finding the mastermind, at that point, I felt my blood chill down my spine. Like what I’d said would wound up being used against us.

It didn’t take long for those fears to be affirmed.

“The answer to your questions is this. There **is** a mastermind.” A sinister gleam shone through Monokuma’s eye as he said that. “And they are among the sixteen students in this asylum.”

 

I felt the bond that had been building between all of us shatter in an instant.

As I met everyone’s eyes, few looked back with anything but **distrust**. More eyes met around the room with that same distrust.

The hope that had been building around us had been replaced with the looming shadow of despair.

And… I wanted this. No, I didn’t. Not the despair. I wanted answers so badly that I didn’t think about what the consequences of asking would be…

“Well, with that ball out, I guess I’ll pull the other one out of the sack,” Monokuma said. “The room on the fourth floor? It’s the mastermind’s super-secret office! If you want access, you’ll need to have the key! Naturally, the mastermind has one.”

None of us spoke.

“Huh. I didn’t think this would be as revolutionary a revelation as it was to you guys,” Monokuma said.

“One question,” Seiryo finally spoke up. “How do we know you’re not lying?”

“That’s easy! If I tell a lie, all of my fur will fall out!” Monokuma chuckled behind his paws.

“Then who is the mastermind?” Delawyn said.

“I already said, the mastermind’s among you sixteen bastards!” Monokuma replied.

“Let me rephrase that, then. What is the mastermind’s talent?” Delawyn asked.

“Easy. The Ultimate Despair,” Monokuma said.

“Bloody hell- what’s the mastermind’s name!” Kokuro asked.

“Man, where were all these easy questions before? The mastermind’s name is Junko Enoshima!” Monokuma proudly said.

“UGH! What’s the name of the mastermind running this particular bullshit ‘game’?!” Hisoka yelled.

“Now, I can’t tell a lie, but I can just refuse to answer,” Monokuma said. “And I’ll exercise that right, right now!”

I threw up my hands in frustration. “Just go!”

Monokuma left without another word, but the atmosphere had already gone from warm and cozy to harsh and tense.

 

I slumped back into my seat. “Should we at least try to finish?”

“I don’t know if I’m hungry anymore…” Kenji said.

“I-I’ll stay and eat, but…” Hiroshi said.

“Well, I won’t.” Kokuro stood up, taking the bowl with her. “I’ll come back and cover washing up, I suppose.”

And one by one, I saw everyone leave, taking their food with them instead.

I bit my lip, trying to remain where I was, even as the room became emptier and emptier. I felt beads of sweat cover my forehead and drip down my face.

Before I knew it, and as only Hisoka, Seiryo, and Delawyn remained, I slumped to the floor.

 

No matter what choice I made, it was wrong.

I just wanted us all to get along…

I wanted all of us to fight against Monokuma.

I wanted those more than anything else in the world, ever since we woke up here.

But it was finally, finally sinking in…

… that my ideals weren’t a possibility.

The only thing I thought I was any good at here, in this situation, was getting everyone to get along.

And… every time I tried it, was always thwarted and shattered.

I’m not smart enough to find the mastermind…

I’m not strong enough to save everyone.

… Am I even strong enough to save _anyone?_

 

“Why…?!” I whimpered. “Why is it never enough…?”

I felt a hand on my shoulder. I didn’t look to see who. I wasn’t sure why I hadn’t already burst into tears. I wasn’t sure why… it felt like I couldn’t show any emotion.

But I did feel something.

It was despair.

From the depths of my heart.

From the depths of my uselessness.

From the depths of my anxiety.

All that despair came bubbling straight to the surface like ink through water.

I heard someone calling my name. I couldn’t tell if it was Hisoka, Delawyn, Seiryo, or someone else entirely. It sounded like a girl’s voice, I think… but it didn’t sound like it was in the room with me. It sounded like it was in my own head.

I felt a pair of arms lift me from under my shoulders to a standing position, before – another? The same pair? – swept me off my feet.

It was that… that split second of anxiety as I didn’t know what was happening, but I might have been in danger. I was being moved, but by who? To where?

I clung to that anxiety. I needed it to anchor myself back to reality. Who’s moving me? Where am I going?

I wasn’t sure when I started screaming or thrashing. But I was sure when I hit the floor of the dining hall.

“Ow!- haah… haah…!”

I dug my nails into the concrete between the tiles of the dining hall, but in that second that I hit the floor, I felt myself finally back to reality.

“Maemi!” Hisoka said, clutching onto my shoulders gently, but firmly. “Are you alright? Not hurt?”

“You had a panic attack, I believe,” Seiryo said. “I didn’t think you’d react so harshly to Delawyn carrying you.”

“A-A panic attack…” I repeated, taking a deep breath and trying to calm back down.

“Hisoka, could you get a glass of water? I think it might help her,” Delawyn said, crouching next to me.

“On it,” Hisoka said, heading out of the dining hall.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Seiryo asked.

“I… I just… wanted us to get along…” I replied.

“With that bear around, that’s going to be difficult. He’ll say anything if it helps him cause discord,” Delawyn said.

“Did you hurt yourself when you fell?” Seiryo asked, pulling up a chair and taking a seat.

I gently touched my hip – I think that’s what I landed on. It hurt a little, but I think I just bruised it. “Not that badly… it should heal quickly, I think.”

“Alright,” Seiryo said, as Hisoka came back through with a glass of water.

“Here you go,” Hisoka said. I gently took the glass and took a sip.

“… I think I can keep an eye on her for now,” Delawyn said. “The nighttime announcement will be soon, anyway.”

“I dunno if we should leave her alone…” Hisoka said.

“You won’t be. I’ll be with her,” Delawyn said.

“You sure you’ll be okay with just Delawyn, Maemi?” Seiryo asked.

I nodded. “Y-Yeah, I think so…”

“Alright… We’ll check on her first thing tomorrow morning,” Seiryo said.

“I hope you’ll be back on top tomorrow, Maemi!” Hisoka gave a thumbs up, and the two left the room.

 

“Are you going to be okay to come with me?” Delawyn asked.

“I-I think so, but- Oh, right,” I replied. She was probably talking about the security room.

I stood up, took another sip of the glass, before leaving it on the table and following Delawyn up the stairs to the fourth floor. However, when we reached the door to the security room…

The door clicked strangely, and I saw a frown form on Delawyn’s face.

“Locked…?!” She said. Her voice sounded like she was doing her absolute best to remain calm.

“How’s that possible?” I asked, though it was almost superficial to do so. One glance at each other let me know we were probably thinking the same thing. _The Mastermind._

“Stand back,” Delawyn said. I took a few steps back. “And please… remember this anger is not directed at you.”

And with that, I saw her start pounding on the door, enough to cause it to shake in its frame.

“ **I will force the damn door open if you don’t open it now!** ”

I still stifled a cry in my throat. Her loud voice startled me even with the warning.

The door didn’t open, either.

“Alright, you had your chance,” Delawyn said, taking a step back from the door herself, bracing her shoulder.

And as she took a deep breath to take a running start at the door…

The door opened, revealing one of the Mononurses on the other side.

“Shit- Delawyn, get back!” I cried out.

“Violence against the Headmaster is against the rules,” a robotic voice said. It came from the Mononurse. It sounded distorted. Like the speaker hadn’t aged well.

I only paid it enough mind to determine that much. I grabbed Delawyn’s hand and took off running down the hall. I didn’t look back. I could hear Delawyn’s footsteps beside me. She was at least with me.

 

When we’d finally stopped sprinting away from the Mononurse, we’d stopped at the bottom of the staircase on the first floor. Delawyn was panting slightly. I was panting heavily.

“D-Damnit… haah… How’d they… know?” I asked.

“There must’ve been something on the top floor… something that alerted them,” Delawyn said.

“Maybe… there was a camera in the security room…?”

“Your guess is as good as mine. We’ll meet again tomorrow and discuss it. There has to be _some_ way to catch the mastermind. For now… we should both get some rest.”

As if on cue, the monitor above us lit up.

“Attention all lunatics: it is now 10pm,” Monokuma began. “It is now officially nighttime. The doors to the cafeteria and dining hall will lock shortly. Please, all of you have pleasant dreams, and we’ll see each other tomorrow morning!” The monitors shut off.

“I hope you rest well, Maemi,” Delawyn said, heading towards her room.

“Yeah, you too,” I said.

 

As I made my way back into my room, took off my clothes, got into my pyjamas, and laid back in my bed, I pushed the stresses of the last three hours out of my mind.

I decided to focus on what I was grateful for. Otherwise, I’d never get to sleep.

I was grateful for Seiryo’s assistance with me and for putting up with me for so long.

I was grateful for Hisoka’s almost never-ending optimistic attitude, and the way it kept going even when almost all hope seemed lost.

I was grateful for Delawyn and her determination in this situation, even if nobody else would’ve kept going.

And above all… I was grateful for the three being my **friends**.

I’m not sure I would’ve lasted as long as I have without them.

And among those thoughts, I finally drifted off into sleep…

 

**[LOVE HOTEL]**

I woke in a strange dream… no, not that strange, actually. I was in the Love Hotel again. Hisoka stood in front of the bed this time.

Every time I’m here, I play the role of the other person’s fantasy.

I won’t deny it, I’m curious about what Hisoka fantasizes about…

 

“So, how was that performance? Did I nail it, or did I nail it?” Hisoka said, giving me a huge grin and a thumbs up.

“You were awesome, Hisoka!” I replied. I… wasn’t sure what role I was playing. Was I a fan? A manager? “So… uh. What now?”

“W-Well, there’s… nothing wrong with a little after-performance cuddling with my girlfriend, is there?” Hisoka scratched the back of his neck.

“No, of course not!” I said. Okay, so… I was Hisoka’s girlfriend? All the news outlets said he didn’t have a romantic partner. Maybe having one is his fantasy?

“O-okay… Here, I’ll lie down first,” Hisoka said, before lying down on the bed. “Alright, now you… unless you don’t want to?”

“N-No, I want to…” I said, climbing into his arms.

God, why were we so nervous? I mean- I don’t think I was acting any less nervous than usual, but Hisoka certainly was. He was also a lot more cautious. When I moved my arm to stroke his chest, he’d always redirect my arm to his stomach.

“S-Sorry, am I doing something wrong?” I asked.

“N-Not really. Nothing I can blame you for,” Hisoka said. “Though… I’d still feel better if you didn’t touch my che-…”

Hisoka went silent for a moment, suddenly looking deep in thought.

“Is… is something wrong? Have I done something wrong?” I asked.

“N-No. It’s not you. It’s… it’s me,” Hisoka replied.

“I don’t think you’ve done anything wrong- I mean, if you’re uncomfortable with me touching you in certain ways, you’re uncomfortable, and that’s fine,” I said.

“I know, but… okay. Maemi. I’ve loved you for a long time, now, but… I think I’m willing to trust you on this.”

Hisoka looked at me. His face was… uncharacteristically serious. It was weird, but… I didn’t say or do anything. I was worried if I did, he’d wake up, and it’d be painful for him.

“You can’t tell anybody, Maemi, and… though it’ll hurt, I’ll understand if you want to break up,” Hisoka said.

“W-What is it?” I asked. I… couldn’t deny I felt my anxiety welling up. Had he done something horrible in the past?

No… this was Hisoka. There was no way, right?

“… I wasn’t born a boy.”

“… Huh?” was all I could muster in response.

“I’m a boy, but… when I was born, the doctor said I was a girl.” Hisoka took a deep breath. "I'm a trans man."

That… was what Hisoka had been holding back the whole time?

No… I wouldn’t know how he feels. How this would’ve affected him. What he was born as doesn’t matter.

“I… I wouldn’t break up with you over something like this, Hisoka,” I said. “If you say you’re a boy, you’re a boy. That’s enough for me.”

“Maemi…”

I saw tears welling in Hisoka’s eyes. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, holding him tightly.

“If it’s a secret to keep, then my lips are sealed,” I said. “So… don’t worry, Hisoka.”

Hisoka snuggled his head into my neck, and I felt the sleeve of my shirt start to get wet.

“Maemi… thank you,” Hisoka said.

“It’s okay,” I replied, gently stroking his hair.

Hisoka pulled away, looking me in the eyes. His cheeks were slightly stained with tears, and were heavily bloodshot with a blush.

“Maemi… this is probably a lot to ask at once, but… will you… um. Do it with me…? I… I’d like that, but… you can say no.”

I didn’t verbally respond. Instead, I pulled Hisoka closer…

**[LOVE HOTEL]**

**[MONOKUMA THEATRE]**

“People ask me what I’d do if I had the chance to do my life over.”

“It’s a common question.”

“Truth is, I’d like to have my moms back.”

“So, if I could rewrite anything, it would be that.”

“You just gotta keep the people you love most close, y’know?”

“Hey. You try coming up with something for every single one of these segments every day for several years.”

“You’ll eventually learn how much you value those you love when you’re forced to do nothing but write Monokuma Theatre segments.”

“It’s not as easy as it looks.”

“Well, that’s a lie. Sometimes it is.”

“But I wish my moms were still here.”

**[MONOKUMA THEATRE]**

“Ahem- attention, all lunatics! It is now 7am! The cafeteria and dining hall have been unlocked,” Monokuma announced. “Please, let’s all have a wonderful day together!” The monitors shut off as Monokuma finished his morning announcement.

 

I sighed, pushing myself to my feet and stretching my arms. I felt… a lot better, after that night of rest. Or maybe I’d been so exhausted that any rest felt good.

I stumbled into the shower, quickly washed myself off, and got into my clothes and tied my hair up. The moment the last bun went into its place, I heard my doorbell ring.

I quickly answered the door, finding Seiryo on the other side.

“Good morning, Maemi. Did you sleep well?” Seiryo asked, stepping out of the way as I went out into the hall.

“As good as I could sleep…” I replied.

“That’s good… Hisoka’s trying to round everyone up for breakfast, but it’s… difficult, given last night’s events,” Seiryo said.

“I understand… I’ll still head to the dining hall,” I said. “You wanna come with?”

“I don’t see any reason why not,” Seiryo replied.

 

We were both silent as we walked to the dining hall. We were also the first two there.

I sat down on one side of the table, Seiryo sitting down on the other.

“… Did you want to practice your breathing exercises before the others arrive?” Seiryo asked.

I thought about it for a moment, before shaking my head. “I think… I’ve got the one you’ve taught me mastered.”

“Alright. If you could, please demonstrate,” Seiryo said.

“Okay… um. Can I hold your hand for it, please?” I asked.

Seiryo held out his hand, and I gently took it. I took a short breath to prepare.

1, 2, 3, 4, in.

1, 2, 3, 4, hold.

1, 2, 3, 4, out.

1, 2, 3, 4, in.

1, 2, 3, 4, hold.

1, 2, 3, 4, out.

I looked up to Seiryo, and he nodded.

“And is that helping?” he asked.

“Yeah, it’s helped… it hasn’t cured it, though. Sorry,” I replied.

“I don’t expect it to be cured in a few days, don’t worry,” Seiryo said.

“Okay…” I said.

The doors behind us opened, but only four people were on the other side. Hiroshi, Hisoka, Delawyn, and Satoko.

“Is this all that’s joining us?” Seiryo asked.

“I’m afraid so…” Hiroshi replied. “We tried and tried and tried to get the others to join us, but they wouldn’t.”

“S-Sorry…” Satoko said.

“That’s okay. They didn’t seem to be the trusting types,” Delawyn said.

 

Breakfast passed without incident.

It felt lonely, with only the six of us, but I guess it couldn’t be helped.

Seiryo spent most of his time on his student phone, seeming lost in thought. Satoko slowly made her way through her food, while Hiroshi and Hisoka were a little more enthusiastic.

As I finished my breakfast, however, Delawyn tapped me on the shoulder and whispered into my ear.

“Meet me on the fourth floor when you’re done.”

 

It didn’t take long for me to finish my food, and after scrubbing the plate clean in the kitchen, I quickly headed up to the fourth floor.

When I arrived, Delawyn was already standing in the hallway waiting, her hands in her  .

“What do you need?” I asked.

“I have an idea on how we can either dissuade the mastermind from even going to the fourth floor, or catch them in the act,” Delawyn replied.

“Wait- seriously?” I said, though I made sure to keep my voice down.

“If we put up our own cameras all around the fourth floor, I doubt the mastermind will see them all. There’s no cameras whatsoever in the fourth floor hallway, so they won’t see us placing them down,” Delawyn said.

“But won’t they still know how many we have?” I asked.

“There’s a chance of that. But they’re not going to know exactly where each one was hidden,” Delawyn said. “We may be able to buy ourselves time at least, and we may even catch the mastermind on one of the video feeds.”

“I see… well, I think it’s worth a shot!” I said. “But where are we gonna get the cameras from?”

“Initially, I thought Kadiri’s lab,” Delawyn began. “but I couldn’t find any in there that would suit our purposes. Then I remembered, I’d seen some of those heavy-endurance mini-cameras in the storehouse.”

“I see… How many do you think we’ll need?” I asked.

“… I’d argue no more than four should be necessary,” Delawyn said.

“That doesn’t sound like much…” I said.

“You make a good point. Four around the door, four around the rest of the hallway?” Delawyn asked.

“That sounds better. Um… I’ll handle the rest of the hall, you handle the door?” I said. It was Delawyn’s idea, so I didn’t want her doing so much work for it…

“Sounds good,” Delawyn said. “Let’s grab the cameras.”

 

We both walked into the storage room, making a beeline for the cameras in the second row. I decided to grab two rolls of duct tape as well, to secure the cameras.

“Would be really good if we had some motion sensors, too…” I said.

“Unfortunately, I don’t think the storehouse has them,” Delawyn said. “But I agree. Here’s the cameras, at any rate.”

Delawyn handed me four cameras, and I had to cradle them in my arms to avoid dropping them to the floor.

“Um- I grabbed some tape to make securing them easier…” I said, sheepishly flicking out my wrist to offer a roll to Delawyn.

“Thank you,” Delawyn said. She put her cameras back on the shelf for a moment, put the roll around her wrist, and picked the cameras back up.

 

We headed out of the storage room, and I got to work securing the cameras around the floor while Delawyn secured the cameras around the door.

I taped two cameras along the railings – one facing the storage room door, and the other at the other end of the hall. The camera I set facing the stairwell was somewhat obscured by the railings, but still had a clear view of the floor.

“Don’t have them record anything yet,” Delawyn said. “We’d drain the battery and see nothing if we did.”

“Got it,” I said, moving along and taping a camera to the floor near the entrances to the labs. I did use a lot of tape – I was lucky the tape was the same colour as the wallpaper, or it might have been an easy giveaway. Well, easier than this one was.

I looked at the last camera I had, and looked above the archway leading to the fourth floor. That seemed like the perfect place for the last one, but… I couldn’t reach it.

“Um… was there a stepladder in the storage room?” I asked myself, heading towards the storage room. Delawyn stopped me, though.

“Is something wrong?” she asked.

“Um… were there stepladders in the storage room?” I asked. “I wanted to put this camera up on the arch over there.” I pointed to emphasise exactly where.

“It’ll be hard to get to that one to start recording, but it is the last one, so…” Delawyn pointed to my shoulders. “If you can, give me a boost and I can secure it.”

“Got it,” I said, crouching down near the front of the stairwell. Delawyn hopped onto my shoulders, and I stood up as best I could.

“Careful. Keep your back straight,” Delawyn said. I took a breath and did as she asked, knocked slightly off-balance, but not enough to tip over.

Delawyn leaned over, put the camera above the stairwell, and taped it into place. She then latched onto the groove above the stairwell and unwrapped her legs from my shoulders.

“Alright, that’s it then?” I said.

“That’s it. We’ll come back later tonight and turn the cameras on,” Delawyn said. “For now, just try to enjoy your day. I’ll call you when it’s time.”

“Got it… I hope this works,” I said.

 

I went down the stairs and started wandering around the asylum once more. It didn’t take long before I found myself in the gym for some reason. Also inside the gym was Dai, using one of the treadmills.

She didn’t say anything as I walked closer.

“Hey, Dai, do you want to hang out?” I asked.

“I don’t mind. Here, take a run with me,” Dai said.

 

I spent some time using the treadmills with Dai…

 

I think Dai and I got a little closer today.

 

“You’ve come back,” Dai said. “Do you take an interest in archery?”

“Um… a little? I’m mostly just curious…” I replied.

Dai chuckled. “That’s perfectly understandable. Unfortunately, I don’t have the necessary facilities to satisfy that curiosity.”

“I know… Um, what’s one of the most impressive shots you’ve made, in your opinion?” I asked.

 “Hm… I’ve taken a lot of shots, with many different bows,” Dai said. “The most impressive… That’s a tough one to answer.”

“You don’t have to answer right away,” I said.

“Okay. Then I won’t,” Dai said. “The worst shot I’ve ever made, however, is pretty recent.”

“The worst shot? Well, you’re the Ultimate Archer, so it can’t be that bad…” I said.

“I… don’t know about that. At an archery tournament, one of the salesmen handing out popcorn walked in front of the targets while I was firing.” Dai clasped her hands together. “I… fired straight through his knee and pinned him to the bullseye.”

S-Seriously?! That’s still impressive, but geez!

“Why did he walk in front of the targets?” was all I could muster as a response.

“I’m… not sure. Easier than taking the long way around, I suppose... I won the tournament, so I used the prize money to cover his medical expenses,” Dai replied.

Hm… What would be the correct response?

  1. **You did the right thing**
  2. Wasn’t it his fault?
  3. Is he okay now?



“You did the right thing,” I said.

“I hope I did. He didn’t seem very happy with me. I understand why, of course. He seemed grateful for the treatment, though the last I saw him, he walks with a slight limp now.” Dai said.

“I guess… nothing else could’ve been done for him by that point,” I said.

“I did what I could. There was still prize money left over, so I asked him whether I could get him anything else. He refused.”

I… don’t think I would’ve refused an offer like that, but I also would probably be more forgiving than him…

“What did you do with the remaining prize money?” I asked.

“Split it between my mother, my sibling, and myself,” Dai said. “Haru wanted ice cream that day, so I took them to a shop along the beach so we could watch the waves.”

“That’s really sweet!” I said. “Ehe- no pun intended.”

Dai smiled. “I’d like to introduce you to Haru someday, Maemi.”

 

I talked to Dai for a little while longer, before I headed off. I began wandering around the asylum again, eventually finding Satoko in the kitchen.

She didn’t speak as I approached her.

“Hey, Satoko, do you want to hang out?” I asked.

Satoko looked at me, before nodding. “S-Sorry. I was making salmon nigiri. D-Did you want to as well?”

 

I spent some time making and eating salmon nigiri with Satoko…

 

It looks like Satoko and I got a little closer today.

 

“… Ice carving,” Satoko said.

“Huh?” I replied.

“T-The other day, you asked me what my favourite type of sculpting was. It’s ice carving.”

“I see…  Is it hard?”

“… N-Not so much in winter. It’s c-cold enough then for the ice to remain hard long enough to finish. I-In summer, though… it’s barely worth the effort.”

“I see… is there a carving type you don’t like?”

Satoko pushed her fingers together. “… Probably a given, but I don’t like flesh carving.”

“W-Well, yeah…” I said. “Is there a _legal_ carving you don’t like?”

“I-I mean, flesh carving’s legal if you’re not caught…” Satoko cleared her throat. “I… don’t dislike any materials, I don’t think. I just think ice is prettiest.”

“I can get that… though I’ve never seen it before.”

“It’s pretty rare to see them if you’re not rich enough to afford them… someone like Airou had probably seen them. And… a-and, Korin had seen my work with them, too.”

I saw tears curl in the corners of Satoko’s eyes.

“Y-You don’t have to keep talking about it if it makes you upset,” I said.

“B-But… I want to keep his memory close,” Satoko said. “I don’t want to let go.”

“I’m not saying you should, I’m saying that you don’t have to talk about him to me if it upsets you.”

“I want to. I… no matter how much it hurts, I-I can’t let him go.”

I don’t think I’ll be able to convince Satoko to move on right now… It’d probably be heartless if I did.

“Um… what carvings have you done that you’re proud of?” I asked.

“I’ve… tried not to be prideful with my work.” Satoko pushed her fingers together. “I… I guess if I have to answer, there was this chessboard I made… the black squares were indented into the board, and along the edges were flower vine patterns that I filled with glowing epoxy resin.”

“That sounds so cool!” I said.

Satoko nodded. “I… made it for a boy I liked. H-he… already had a girlfriend, though.”

“Aw, that’s still really sweet! And I’m sure you’re still friends!” I said.

Satoko’s cheeks upturned a bit. “W-We are. And… I’ve been considering asking if they’re polyamorous, since I also kind of like his girlfriend…”

“When we get out, I’ll help you if you need me,” I said.

“I-I’ll…” Satoko lowered her mask enough for me to see her face. “I’d appreciate that. T-Thank you.”

 

I talked a little bit longer with Satoko, before we went our separate ways.

 

As I began wandering around the asylum again, I heard my phone ring in my pocket. As expected, Delawyn was calling.

“Hey, you need me now?” I said.

“Yep. Fourth floor.” Delawyn said, before hanging up.

 

I walked up to the fourth floor, seeing Delawyn standing in the hallway.

“Have you turned any of the cameras on yet?” I asked.

“The ones around the door, and the one facing the storage room,” Delawyn said. “You get the two over there, I’ll try to climb up and turn the one on the archway on.”

I did as she asked, taking care not to step in front of the cameras’ view and keeping my eyes on the floor.

“Did you get the one on the archway?” I asked.

“Not yet… there,” Delawyn said, and I saw the red light on the front flicker on.

“Alright, so we just leave now, right? Come back tomorrow morning and check on everything?”

“Yep. With any luck, we’ll have the mastermind cornered,” Delawyn said.

“Um… should we tell Hisoka and Seiryo about this?” I asked.

“I considered that, but I can’t see any reason why someone who isn’t the mastermind would use the door,” Delawyn said. “Besides, more people in on it might complicate matters more than they need to be.”

“Alright…” I said, heading down the staircase. “G’night then, Delawyn.”

“Good night, Maemi,” Delawyn said, and the two of us headed our separate ways, back to our rooms.

 

I laid back on my bed, staring at the ceiling.

Delawyn… she said that we would hopefully have the mastermind cornered.

So why was there this sense of dread in my heart?

I didn’t know.

It weighed on me heavily though.

“Attention all lunatics: it is now 10pm,” Monokuma began. “It is now officially nighttime. The doors to the cafeteria and dining hall will lock shortly. Please, all of you have pleasant dreams, and we’ll see each other tomorrow morning!” The monitors shut off.

That sense of dread…

Ugh. It was probably just my anxiety disorder talking. If I asked Seiryo, he’d probably agree with me.

I’ll ask him tomorrow about it. He’d know whether I’m justified in how I feel, or if it’s just my anxiety acting up again.

I closed my eyes, pretending to be asleep.

And eventually, I fell asleep for real.

 

**[LOVE HOTEL]**

I woke in a strange dream again... I was in the Love Hotel once more. Satoko stood opposite me. 

Every time I’m here, I play the role of the other person’s fantasy.

Satoko’s fantasies have to be cute, right…?

 

“… Thank you for helping me get my parents jailed,” Satoko said.

“Huh?” I asked. Was… I a parole officer?

“Y-You called the police when they threw you out to…” Satoko shook her head, trying to stop her entire body from trembling. “It… it was months ago now. B-But… I’m still grateful we’re friends, a-and I don’t remember if I thanked you for it.”

So, I’m Satoko’s friend, and her parents were jailed months ago because I called the police on them… Good riddance, honestly.

“It’s okay, Satoko. I just want to see you happy, okay?” I said.

“I… I know. But still, thank you.”

Satoko pushed her fingers together. It looked like she still had something on her mind…

“Is there anything else I can help you with? You seem distracted…” I asked.

“I-It’s just… we’ve been friends for a long time, Maemi, a-and… I’m nervous about asking you about something,” Satoko said.

“You don’t have to be nervous about asking me anything. Don’t worry, Satoko.”

“It’s just… I don’t want to ruin our friendship by saying this.”

“You won’t. I promise. Nothing you could say would ruin it.”

“… I feel something different towards you than friendship, Maemi. For… for some time now.”

I frowned slightly. “What do you mean?”

Satoko pushed her fingers together, averting her eyes. “… I… I’ve fallen in love with you.”

I felt a flush of blood hit my cheeks, but… there was no anxiety with it. “I-In love with me?”

Satoko looked alarmed. “I-I ruined it, d-didn’t I…”

I shook my hands. “No way, Satoko, it’s just… it is a bit to take in.”

I… didn’t know where to progress from here. Did I say I just wanted to be friends, or did I accept her feelings?

I… would have to decide quickly. Otherwise, she might wake up anyway, and it’d be painful for her…

“… I didn’t know how to tell you this, but I… honestly, feel the same way, Satoko,” I said. God, I had no idea if this is what she wanted…

She looked at me with more surprise, but it was different to the alarm. Her eyes were full of hopefulness. “Y-You do…?”

“Yeah, I do. I’ve loved you as well for a long time, but I didn’t know how to express that to you. And… I was worried you’d be uncomfortable.

Satoko sat down on the edge of the bed, and I sat down next to her. She slid down her mask, and looked at me.

“I… I know it’s all very fast. But… I’d like to… u-um,” Satoko averted her gaze.

“You’d like to…?” I said.

Satoko took a breath, before turning back to me. “I… I’d like to kiss you.”

“That’s okay, Satoko,” I said.

Nervously, Satoko hooked her mask over her chin, before leaning forward into me. I leaned in slightly into her, and our lips met. Hers were really soft…

After a moment, we both pulled away. Satoko’s face was red, and mine felt the way hers looked.

“… I… I know this is probably too fast, but… I… um. I-I want to go further.”

Satoko kicked her legs around nervously.

“Are you sure?” I asked. “I’d be willing to, but I don’t want you to rush into this…”

“I… I’m a little nervous,” Satoko said. “But… yes. I-I’m sure.”

I nodded, lying back on the bed, and as Satoko climbed on top…

**[LOVE HOTEL]**

**[MONOKUMA THEATRE]**

“People ask me if I ever took lessons in a musical instrument.”

“Alongside a lot of other questions, of course.”

“I don’t know why they ask so often.”

“I mean, I don’t look like the kind of bear who’d play musical instruments.”

“I guess I can play two.”

“The dying screams of the innocent, and the drums.”

“The drums tend to be a lot easier, but not as fun.”

“I can’t play many other instruments. I have opposable thumbs, but I don’t have fingers.”

“Those are kind of important for playing instruments.”

“But I still like the steady beat and rhythm of a drum.”

“Bang, bang, bang…”

“Bang, bang, bang…”

**[MONOKUMA THEATRE]**

 

“Ding-dong-ding-dong! A body has been discovered! Following a brief period of investigation, we shall conduct our Class Trial!”

 

I yawned, stretching my arms out-

Wait.

That… wasn’t the morning announcement.

That was…

God, no!

 

I threw on my clothes as fast as I could and raced out the door, running into Hisoka and Delawyn on the way out.

“Hisoka, Delawyn! Did you-“

“The body discovery announcement? Yeah!” Hisoka said. “Fuck, fuck, where? And why?!”

“Jesus- bloody hell!” I heard Kokuro shout from the hallway.

I raced over as fast as I could.

 

… and the sight that met me on the other side was worse than I could have ever imagined.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologise for this chapter taking so long to publish. University work and just general fatigue took their toll, but my friend added some more to her fanfic, which inspired me to plough through about 12,000 words in 2 weeks.


	15. Chapter 4: Revisit Lives That Never Were (Deadly Life)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, so this fic now has a Discord chat and a Tumblr blog!
> 
> https://discordapp.com/invite/kFcPht5 Discord Chat  
> https://danganronpa-s-kia.tumblr.com/ Tumblr blog
> 
> Feel free to check them out!

I didn’t even want to acknowledge the sight in front of me was real.

 

I wanted to pretend I was still asleep. That I was having a nightmare. The worst kind of nightmare.

But I could’ve pinched my skin until it bled, and the sight in front of me would remain real.

The sight of the dead body of one of the few people I trusted in this damned game.

And still, I wasn’t convinced. I had to know if it was real.

 

I started to sprint over to him, only for a hand to wrap itself around my arm and hold me back. As I looked back, I saw Dai holding onto my arm.

“No, please, let me go!” I said.

“I can’t be sure you won’t hurt yourself or disturb the crime scene,” Dai said.

As much as I hated to admit it, she… did have a point. I stopped struggling against her.

“Where’s Monokuma, anyway?” Hisoka said, looking around. “He’s usually here by now.”

I started to look around, trying to catch up with my surroundings. Kadiri, Dai, Kenji, and Kokuro were all out in the hallway with me, Hisoka, and Delawyn.

“Look,” I began, dusting myself off and doing my best to be assertive in this situation. “I don’t know where he is, but we might as well get what we can before he gets here. Now, what triggered the announcement?”

Kenji raised his hand. “I was the one that found the body… I left my room a little while ago to get some crackers from Tae’s lab, and as soon as I turned the hall, I found Seiryo lying there. I went to get Dai, who went and got Kadiri while I got Kokuro. As soon as Kadiri found the body, the discovery announcement went off.”

As I opened my mouth to clarify the order, Monokuma showed up, Satoko and Hiroshi in tow behind him.

“Man, this motive wasn’t even particularly impressive! I thought you guys were better than this!”  Monokuma said. “Seriously, I tell you that someone here’s responsible for your capture and you almost kill immediately?”

“Seiryo…? Why him?” Hiroshi pushed his fingers together.

Monokuma just shrugged. “Someone wanted him dead, I guess. Aaaanyway, as per usual, I’ve updated your Student Phones with the new Monokuma file! I’m sure you get the drill by now. Well, have fun investigating!”

 

I felt sick to my stomach.

I felt like all my anxiety turned to nausea, and that I’d just throw up onto the floor.

Who would’ve done this?

Wait…

What if the mastermind did it?

The rules only said, “Monokuma will never directly perform a murder” …

… It said nothing about the mastermind being tied to the same rule.

 

“We should get started,” Delawyn said, placing a hand on my shoulder.

“Yeah! He’d want us to keep going forward!” Hisoka said.

“Pbbt. Like that hasn’t been true for any of the other bloody victims,” Kokuro retorted.

“Even so… Delawyn’s right,” I said. For Seiryo’s sake… I couldn’t let my emotions about his death get in the way, no matter how much they hurt.

Seiryo… thank you, for everything, and I’ll find who did this. When the investigation and trial are over… we’ll know who the mastermind is.

So… please, rest in peace, friend.

 

**_INVESTIGATION [START!]_ **

 

As horrified as I was that I was getting used to investigating murders, pulling out my student phone and looking for Seiryo’s Monokuma file was almost automatic at this point.

 

_The victim was Seiryo Yuuma._

_The time of death was 4:00am. The body was discovered at 5:00am._

_The body was found in the first-floor hallway._

_There are bruises along the body’s back._

“That’s fuck all!” I heard Kokuro exclaim behind me, and I couldn’t help but agree. Seriously, there was almost no information in this file…

“Not even a cause of death. Looks like the case will hinge on that,” Dai said.

“Still, we should take what we can get in this case,” Delawyn said.

  * **[TRUTH BULLET – MONOKUMA FILE]**



 

“Um… Kenji,” I said, turning to him next. “Can you repeat to me what happened?”

“Bweh… you could’ve written it down,” Kenji said.

“Oh, good point,” I said. Kenji probably meant it as a joke or a passive-aggressive comment, but regardless, I took out my notepad. “Okay, can you please repeat it?”

Kenji huffed. “I got up about ten minutes ago to go get a box of crackers from Tae’s lab, since I was hungry and the cafeteria’s closed at nighttime. I was halfway to the staircase and ramp before I noticed something on the ground. I turned on the lights, and saw Seiryo lying in the hallway.

“I went and woke up Dai to let her know what I’d found. She went to go get Kadiri, I went to go get Kokuro. It was harder to get her up, and I think Kadiri seeing the body triggered the discovery announcement. After that, everyone else woke up.”

“That was quite a lengthy explanation,” Dai said.

“Wanted to be thorough,” Kenji replied.

“Okay, I think I got everything…” I said, putting my notepad back.

However, I couldn’t help but feel there were just a few minor details different from his first run-through of what had happened, and his second…

  * **[TRUTH BULLET – KENJI’S TESTIMONY]**



 

I decided that was probably all the testimony I’d get from everyone, period… if Kadiri or Dai noticed a hole in Kenji’s testimony, I think they’d let me know.

I felt my heartrate increase as I approached Seiryo’s body.

Deep breaths, Maemi…

…

… I would’ve given anything to hear that calming voice of his again.

But I never would.

Seiryo… was gone.

 

Delawyn crouched by the body alongside me, checking it over for external injuries. The blood seemed to be pooled around his head.

My breath hitched in my throat, but… if I didn’t at least try to solve this, I don’t think Seiryo would be able to forgive me.

I began looking his head over, lifting it up gently to investigate the back of his head. The warmth of his body made me shudder. I’d expected him to be cold, stiff, but… he didn’t feel much different to how he was alive.

The only thing that felt off was that, I couldn’t help but feel there was a slight reddish tinge to his skin… but his skin was so dark that it made it difficult to see. But I thought it would be important information.

  * **[TRUTH BULLET – REDDISH SKIN]**



“You don’t have to touch the body if you’re uncomfortable,” Delawyn said.

I paused for a moment, not sure how to reply and trying to construct one that wasn’t insensitive in my head.

“… It’s not that I want to, or that I don’t trust you to do it. I trust you more than I trust me. But… if I don’t at least try, then…” I replied.

“I don’t plan to stop you. Just be careful,” Delawyn said.

I nodded, before my fingers found something strange on the back of his head. A wound to his skull. I felt a crack in the skull – no, several cracks, as I traced between his dreadlocks. Like part of it had been completely flattened, somehow.

  * **[TRUTH BULLET – CRACKED SKULL]**



“His skull’s been cracked flat here…” I said, causing Delawyn to frown. She leaned over and began investigating Seiryo’s neck.

“… His neck has also snapped,” Delawyn said.

I hesitated to touch to confirm, but I decided to do so anyway. As I handled his neck and felt a slight break in the bone, I also felt something wet on the side of his neck. I looked closer. It looked like a… pinprick? Like some tiny hole in his neck. I couldn’t see any shards of glass nearby from his glasses that might have caused it…

That was definitely suspicious.

  * **[TRUTH BULLET – BROKEN NECK]**
  * **[TRUTH BULLET – PINPRICK IN NECK]**



I took a deep breath and stood back up.

“Finally, you’re done touching the body,” Kadiri said.

“Well, sorry for trying to make sure we don’t all die!” I replied. “Why are you still down here, anyway?”

“Well, where do we investigate?” Hisoka asked. “The other cases had the murders take place in rooms, but this is just in the middle of the hallway.”

“You missed something,” Satoko said, pointing towards Seiryo’s body. “U-Um… I think. In his hand.”

“Huh?” I turned back to the body. Wait… there was something near his hand.

“Oh, good catch!” I said, crouching back down and picking it up.

“Looks like some sort of card,” Dai said.

“Yeah, and by the looks of it, it’s from Monokuma,” I replied, showing the card to everyone.

This was probably important. I looked at Delawyn, and it seemed like she had an idea, too.

  * **[TRUTH BULLET – MONOKUMA CARD]**



 

“I think I know two places we should investigate. Seiryo’s room is one,” Delawyn said.

“I think we should also investigate that weird door. I can see something on the card,” I said.

“There’s something I find suspicious about the fact that Seiryo had that card, but I’ll go check out his room and voice that at the trial,” Kokuro said.

“Very well. For now, I think it’d be best we went upstairs, Maemi,” Delawyn said. “Anyone else who wants to investigate up there’s welcome to do so as well.”

“I’ll come with,” Hisoka said.

“I suppose I will, too,” Dai added.

“The rest of you are staying down here?” Delawyn asked.

“Guess so,” Kenji said.

“Alright, come grab us if you find anything or if anything happens,” Dai said.

 

We split off, and once again I felt somewhat inadequate as I was the only one winded after climbing four flights of stairs. Not being sporty was sure as hell not paying off…

Eventually, we arrived on the fourth floor.

Delawyn made practically a beeline for the strange door – no, more accurately, the cameras she’d placed around the door last night. She might have come to the same conclusion I had…

“Damnit.” She said after a moment, crouching next to something by the door.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, crouching beside her. I then noticed something in Delawyn’s hands…

Wait, wasn’t that one of the cameras? At least, I think it was… Key word, was. It had been smashed by something.

“How’d they see us? There’s no camera in this hallway…” Delawyn muttered to herself.

“What’s that?” Hisoka asked, tilting his head.

“Right, we never told anyone else. Last night, Maemi and I set up video cameras around this door in hopes of catching the mastermind,” Delawyn said. “They must’ve seen us, somehow. All the ones around the door are destroyed. I can’t even get the footage off them.”

“Then I’m pretty sure at least something happened up here, if these cameras are smashed,” Dai added.

She’s almost definitely right. These cameras might be important, too…

  * **[TRUTH BULLET – BROKEN CAMERAS]**



“Hang on, let me go check the ones we placed in the hallway!” I said. I didn’t have high hopes for them to be intact.

However, when I crouched by the one looking out towards the storage room’s door, it was completely intact.

“Huh? Did they just miss this one?” I asked, though not asking anyone particularly.

“There’s one intact?” Dai asked.

“Yeah, facing the door here,” I replied. “If we take any intact cameras to the AV room on the third floor, we might be able to find something useful on the tapes to the case! Maybe even the killer!”

“We’ll do that, but while we’re up here, we may as well investigate here,” Hisoka said. “We might find something useful for the case.”

“Sounds good,” Dai said.

I placed the intact camera by the storage room door, and headed back over to the strange Monokuma door.

Something was dangling by my shoulder when I arrived back, and I felt Delawyn give me a slight tug away from it.

“Careful,” she said.

“I will be,” I replied, before taking a closer look at what she pulled me away from.

It seemed to be some sort of needle hanging from the ceiling by a very thin, but very sturdy, thread. The thread and needle were difficult to see. But there were two things I could see.

One, there seemed to be a steel ball attached to the needle – I wasn’t entirely sure, but it seemed like one of the fishing sinkers from the storage room. That… seemed incredibly strange. Why would anyone attach a sinker to a needle?

  * **[TRUTH BULLET – SINKER ON NEEDLE]**



The second strange thing was probably the more sinister of the two. There was blood on the needle.

“Is that… blood?” Hisoka asked. “Who’d stab someone with a needle?”

“I don’t think a needle would cause much more than slight discomfort,” Dai added.

It seemed almost certain that the needle had struck someone, but who, and why? There was also a strange nutty smell to the needle…

  * **[TRUTH BULLET – BLOODIED NEEDLE]**



 

I decided to leave the needle for now, and follow the thread instead.

It was tied up into a complex contraption… It was difficult to figure out where anything went, or what it was used for. But, when I finally traced the original thread’s full length, it ended in some sort of loop – one that had been broken clean down the middle, opposite where it had been tied.

I frowned, taking the thread in my hands. “One moment… I want to try something.”

I reached into my pocket and took out my student ID. Holding the loop out, I struck it with the edge of the card. The string snapped with very little effort.

“Huh… this string isn’t too sturdy,” I commented.

However, that might be important evidence…

  * **[TRUTH BULLET – WEAK STRING]**
  * **[TRUTH BULLET – COMPLEX STRING MECHANISM]**



 

“Okay, let me try one more thing,” I said. I took out the card that was on Seiryo’s body, and tried to slide it through the slot.

…

Nothing. It didn’t work.

Was the card faulty? That was odd.

…

No, if Seiryo was the mastermind, then I don’t think that he’d have a faulty card.

  * **[TRUTH BULLET – BROKEN MONOKUMA CARD]**



 

I turned to the others.

“Well, that’s all for up here, I think…” I said.

“Alright. I’ll go get that camera on top of the door, you grab the other ones,” Delawyn said.

“And… I guess me and Dai’ll go down to the A/V room and meet you there?” Hisoka said.

“Sounds good,” Dai said. “We’ll be waiting.”

 

Hisoka and Dai headed back downstairs, and I headed to the railing and the wall, picking the cameras back up. They were also intact, thankfully. It seems like… just the ones Delawyn placed at the door were smashed. Why were mine left intact?

I headed over to the stairwell just as Delawyn pulled the last camera off the wall.

“You okay there?” I asked.

“Yeah,” Delawyn said, landing on the floor with the camera in hand. “Thankfully, it seems like your cameras were missed. Turn them off, too.”

I nodded, turning off the cameras after stopping their recording.

 

We headed down to the A/V room.

“We found a cable to connect the cameras, and Dai already logged on,” Hisoka said.

“That’s great! Okay, so the Monokuma file said Seiryo died at about 4am…” I began, plugging the camera that had been at the end of the hallway near the security room in. “So I’ll skim the rest of it for footage, but I think we’ll want to look at the time of death mostly.”

I opened the video file. I expected a video file for nearly 8 hours to be something like 45GB, but strangely, it was only about 2GB.

I quickly saw why. The video cameras… didn’t have that great a quality to the video.

I skimmed through the video for anything of note. Almost nothing happened until about 3:58am.

I watched Seiryo come up the stairs and interact with the door. I’m not sure exactly what happened – I think he slid the card through the reader.

The reader turned green, but the moment afterwards, Seiryo clutched at his neck. He stumbled backwards and moved around violently, before he fell over the railing and into the abyss of floors below.

So… we never saw a killer.

  * **[TRUTH BULLET – VIDEO FOOTAGE OF SEIRYO’S DEATH]**



I was about to go see if any of the other videos would show something that this camera missed, before Dai stopped me.

“There might be something else if we keep watching,” she said.

Well… we weren’t sure when Monokuma would declare time up, but it couldn’t hurt to try.

I kept skimming through the video, until I caught a glimpse of a figure about half an hour later.

“Found something!” I said, playing all the footage of the figure.

It was… difficult to see who it was. Impossible, actually. Not because of the camera quality or camera placement. We’d seen Seiryo, after all. The figure was wearing a black cloak and a face mask that concealed almost all details about them. I couldn’t make out gender, skin tone, eye colour, body build, even height from this angle was difficult. All I could make out was they were shorter than Seiryo, but that could’ve been any of us.

The figure on-screen turned to the cameras around the door, raised… a sledgehammer?

And then brought it down on all the cameras Delawyn had set up last night.

They turned to the hallway, and then left.

 

“Who the hell was that?” Hisoka asked.

“If we knew, we’d tell you,” Delawyn replied.

“If I had to guess… given the fact you said the trap was set up to find the mastermind, that would be them,” Dai said.

“Huh… that does make sense. But why did they only go for the cameras Dee set up?” Hisoka said.

“Maybe they just didn’t see them?” I suggested.

“That seems unlikely. I think they knew the cameras were too far away to record any details about them,” Delawyn said.

I couldn’t make out their identity, but… I was sure this was the killer. They had to be, right?

  * **[TRUTH BULLET – MYSTERIOUS FIGURE]**



 

“I don’t think we’ve got time to watch the rest of the tapes,” I said. “We should probably go back downstairs and see what the others have found.”

“Probably. I don’t imagine we have much time left,” Hisoka said.

 

Leaving the A/V room, we headed back downstairs to find the others.

We eventually found them in Seiryo’s room. The four of us also entered. It was… weird, to just have 9 people standing in one room.

My heart beat faster at the realization one of them killed Seiryo and trapped us in this horrible mess.

I took a deep breath. I needed to remain calm. I would find the mastermind.

“Did you find anything?” I asked.

“I found this,” Hiroshi said, handing over an envelope and a note. “Um… I don’t know if it’s any help.”

“I’m sure any evidence will be helpful,” I said. I took the note, and began reading it.

 

_Here’s a little present from me to you, since you were so clever and discovered your talent on your own before we were even prepared to hint it to you! I’m sure you’ll figure this out quickly, too <3 Signed, the Mastermind_

I don’t think the mastermind would send themselves a note. So… I was certain that Seiryo wasn’t the mastermind.

But… what was with that second sentence? Did the mastermind give something to Seiryo?

Wait… the card. Did the mastermind give Seiryo that card?

Then…

  * **[TRUTH BULLET – NOTE TO SEIRYO]**



 

“Did you find anything else?” I asked.

Kenji shook his head. “Nope, not in here.”

“I think we should investigate the Ultimate labs on the fourth floor n-“ Kokuro began, but was cut off by the monitors coming to life around the asylum.

 

“Ding-dong-ding-dong! The investigation period is up! All lunatics, please meet up in the courtyard! Anybody who is not there in the next five minutes will be punished by the Mononurses!” Monokuma said, before the monitors flicked back off.

 

“… Or Monobitch can cut our investigation time off there,” Kokuro’s voice sounded strained.

“How are we even gonna get past the body?” Kenji asked, wheeling himself out the door first.

“I guess we’ll have to move it,” Delawyn said.

“You think Monokuma will be courteous enough to move it for us?” Kadiri asked.

“Monokuma, move a body, for us. Are you out of your bloody mind- Oh, come on!” Kokuro said, as our group turned the corner.

There… was no sign of Seiryo’s body in the hallway. It was empty, and a clear stretch to the library and courtyard.

 

Unsettling as that was, we still headed out towards the courtyard.

When we arrived… my heart was pounding, hard and fast. More so than any of the other trials. I… didn’t understand why. Why was my anxiety so much worse this time?

“I can’t help but feel there was more to Seiryo than we thought…” Kokuro said.

“He only just rediscovered his talent, too…” Dai said.

“I… Why did this happen again?” Hiroshi asked.

“I… I’ll t-try to be useful,” Satoko said.

“You’ll still be more useful than you were in the other three,” Kadiri said.

“That’s dickish, even for you,” Hisoka said.

“Bweh… I just hope this is over soon,” Kenji said.

“You okay, Maemi?” Delawyn asked.

“Y-Yeah…” I replied, and hoped she wouldn’t pick up on the fact I was lying.

“… You don’t have to worry. By the end of this trial, we’ll know who the mastermind is,” Delawyn said.

So… she did figure me out. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. She’s been dealing with me for a while now.

 

“And we’re all here, once again! Here to prove a certain redhead with a stupid hairstyle wrong!” Monokuma said.

“This is all your fault,” I said back. “But don’t worry. We **will** find out who’s controlling you. And we will make them pay for what they did to Seiryo.”

“And if you experience a vengeance-boner lasting more than four hours, go see a docto- Oh, wait. Well, anyway. Get in the elevator so this chick shuts her mouth!” Monokuma said.

I didn’t respond, but my glare towards Monokuma was sharper than any blade as I climbed onto the pagoda.

Once again, once we were all in the pagoda, the vines closed behind us, and we began our descent back to the trial room.

 

The mastermind was among us…

…and surely, they were the one who killed Seiryo.

I would find them.

And I…

I would send them to their death.

I hated them.

And I would expose them at the fourth Class Trial.


	16. Chapter 4: Revisit Lives That Never Were (Class Trial 1)

We once again arrived in the trial room and assumed our positions at the podiums.

I was sure this would be the last class trial. I would find the mastermind who killed Seiryo. It had to be them, didn’t it…? The mastermind had to be Seiryo’s killer.

I would end this here!

 

“Now then, let’s begin-“

“The trial. We know how they work, Monokuma,” Kadiri cut him off.

“Geez, again with the cutoffs? Fine, fine,” Monokuma replied.

“But where do we even bloody start on this murder?” Kokuro said.

“I feel like establishing the cause of death will be paramount to the case,” Dai said.

“But there was no cause of death listed on the Monokuma file…” Hiroshi said.

“Which means that the cause of death is important to the case. The withheld information was crucial to the trial the last three times,” Dai said.

“M-Maybe we could start by reducing the suspect pool? A-As in, who didn’t kill Seiryo?” Satoko suggested.

“Is there any information we have that could do that?” Hisoka asked.

“I… I think there is,” Satoko said.

She might be right. Surely, there’s something that could make finding the killer and mastermind easier for us!

 

**[NON-STOP DEBATE 1 – START!]**

“There’s got to be something helping people’s innocence…” Satoko said.

“There’s surely nothing that can be used right now,” Dai replied.

“N-No, I’m sure there’s something,” Satoko said.

“What, like some **magic proof of someone’s innocence**?” Kokuro said.

“U-Um…” Satoko said.

“Look, I admire you for trying,” Kadiri began,

“But there’s **no evidence proving anyone innocent** right now.”

**[TRUTH BULLET – KENJI’S TESTIMONY]**

“That’s wrong!” I shouted.

**[BREAK!]**

“No, there is actually something that validates Satoko’s theory!” I said. “Kenji’s testimony proves him, Dai, and Kadiri innocent.”

“Huh? How?” Hisoka asked.

The information we need is in a previous case, and hinges on the discovery announcement...

But which case is that?

  1. Case 1
  2. Case 2
  3. **_Case 3_**
  4. Case Bananas



“This proves it!” I shouted.

**[BREAK!]**

“During the third case,” I began, “The people who discovered Aeko’s body were Seiryo, Satoko, and Hiroshi, and that triggered the discovery announcement. So, I think the discovery announcement goes off when three or more people discover a body for the first time!”

“I see… those three triggered the announcement, so we can be sure they’re innocent,” Delawyn said.

“Right. So let’s-“

“ **The bloody fuck do you mean,** you can be sure they’re innocent?!” Kokuro cut me off.

“Can’t help but agree with her. How does that prove our innocence?” Kadiri asked.

“It’s because those three discovered the body and triggered it last time, but none of them were the culprit,” Kenji said.

“Why should we trust one of the suspects?” Dai asked.

“We’re all suspects right now, we’re trying to prove our innocence…” Kenji replied.

I’m… not sure what to believe right now, but I’ll push through to the discussion’s end. I have to.

 

**[NON-STOP DEBATE 2 – START!]**

“I told you what happened earlier,” Kenji said.

“C-Could you repeat it?” Satoko asked.

“Yeah. **I went to go upstairs** for some crackers from Tae’s lab,” Kenji began,

“But **the second I turned the hallway** ,

“I saw Seiryo’s body just lying there.”

“Then I went to go get **Dai, who got Kadiri** while I got Kokuro.”

“And when Kadiri saw the body, **it triggered the announcement**. Any questions?”

“I… guess that makes sense,” Hiroshi said.

 

I can’t help but feel there was something off about that testimony… I just need to figure out what it is!

 

“I told you what happened,” Kenji said.

“C-Could you repeat it?” Satoko asked.

“Yeah. **I went to go upstairs** for some crackers from Tae’s lab,” Kenji began,

“But **the second I turned the hallway** ,

“I saw Seiryo’s body just lying there.”

“Then I went to go get **Dai, who got Kadiri** while I got Kokuro.”

**[TRUTH BULLET – MONOKUMA FILE]**

“Bweh… What are you even trying to do?” Kenji asked.

That… deduction made absolutely no sense.

Damnit, I messed up in front of everyone!

 

“I told you what happened,” Kenji said.

“C-Could you repeat it?” Satoko asked.

“Yeah. **I went to go upstairs** for some crackers from Tae’s lab,” Kenji began,

“But **the second I turned the hallway** ,

**[TRUTH BULLET – KENJI’S TESTIMONY]**

“That’s wrong!” I shouted.

**[BREAK!]**

“That’s very different to what you told me last time, Kenji,” I said.

“Eh? Very different? I told you the same thing every time,” Kenji said.

“Okay, maybe not _that_ different,” I said. “But you keep switching back and forth between you nearly ran over Seiryo’s body, and seeing it the moment you got out into the hallway.”

“That… is pretty suspicious,” Hiroshi said. “But could Kenji really have done it?”

“I think he could’ve. Hell, he’s probably the only one here who could take Seiryo in a fight,” Kadiri said.

“Haven’t you noticed he’s in a bloody wheelchair?” Kokuro replied.

“Thanks for fucking reminding me,” Kenji said.

“I… think we need to discuss this more,” Satoko said. “C-Calmly, please…”

“So… Kenji, which is it? Did you nearly run over Seiryo’s body, or did you see it the moment you turned the hallway?” I asked.

“… Nearly ran over it,” Kenji replied. “It was too dark in that hallway to see it until I was nearly on top of it.”

“If he’s changing his story so often, I can’t exactly trust his testimony. And yet, killing Seiryo makes no sense for him,” Delawyn said.

“Dai, Kadiri, can you verify his testimony at all?” I asked.

“He did come get me and tell me there was a body,” Dai said.

“And yeah, Dai did come grab me,” Kadiri replied. “Don’t think that proves he’s innocent, though.”

“You’d be proven innocent too if you agreed…” Hiroshi said.

“Yeah, but that does us no good if Kenji’s guilty,” Kadiri replied. “Duh.”

“Well, he did come grab me. So, I think there’s only a few minor details off,” Kokuro said.

“I still think that Satoko’s theory about the discovery announcement is right,” I said. “After all, Korin would’ve had to have seen Aeko’s body, and he was the killer of the previous case. But he wasn’t counted in the leadup to finding the body.”

Satoko looked uncomfortable. I hated bringing this up in front of her, but… I had to.

“Alright, so… we’ve cleared 3 people. Kenji, Kadiri, and Dai,” Delawyn said.

So… none of them were the mastermind that killed Seiryo.

But if it wasn’t one of those three, and it wasn’t me, Hisoka, or Delawyn…

… Then there were only three people left who could be the mastermind.

Two of the three just seemed so unlikely to be the mastermind. Hiroshi and Satoko just seemed too innocent.

So… was it Kokuro?

Was there even any proof it was? My feelings told me it was her just through process of elimination, but my gut kept saying I was wrong and that she was innocent… and I didn’t know what to believe.

“Well, with those three proven innocent, let’s move on to the cause of death,” Delawyn said.

“Oh – I think I’ve got evidence relevant to that!” Hisoka said.

“You do?” Hiroshi asked.

“Yeah! Right, Maemi? Dai? Dee?” Hisoka gave a thumbs up.

He’s probably talking about…

**[SELECT A TRUTH BULLET!]**

…

…

…

**[TRUTH BULLET – VIDEO FOOTAGE OF SEIRYO’S DEATH]**

“I’ve got it!” I shouted.

**[BREAK!]**

 

“We actually have video footage of Seiryo a few moments before he died,” I said. “It’s not great quality, but this is the best shot we had.”

“Didn’t you set up more cameras around the door?” Dai asked.

We did, but there was a reason we couldn’t get the footage off of them…

**[SELECT A TRUTH BULLET!]**

…

…

…

**[TRUTH BULLET – BROKEN CAMERAS]**

“I’ve got it!” I shouted.

**[BREAK!]**

 

“I don’t know if you legitimately forgot or are just trying to clear things up for everyone else,” I began, “But if you recall correctly, we couldn’t get the camera footage from around the Monokuma door. Those cameras had been smashed.”

“Huh? By who?” Hiroshi asked.

“Duh, the killer,” Kokuro said. “At the same time as they killed Seiryo. But you should’ve told us you got it on video.”

“About that… it’s probably better I show you. Monokuma, could you roll the footage from 3:58 to 4:00am?” I asked.

“Righty-o! Feast your eyes on the final moments of the Ultimate Doctor!” Monokuma declared, as a screen came down behind him and broadcasted to the courtroom.

 

And again, I watched Seiryo’s final moments. Coming up the stairs, sliding the card through the reader, suddenly stumbling backwards, and falling over the railing.

 

“B-But… what pushed him?” Hiroshi asked.

“A ghost, maybe?” Kadiri smiled.

“S-Seriously, don’t joke like that at a time like this!” Hisoka said.

“I’m… not sure what caused him to fall down like that,” I admitted. “But we didn’t catch the killer on tape.”

“So that’s a dead end,” Dai said.

“T-Though we know that it’s likely the fall killed Seiryo…” Satoko said.

I have two pieces of evidence that should remove any doubt in everyone’s mind…

**[SELECT A TRUTH BULLET!]**

…

…

…

**[TRUTH BULLET – CRACKED SKULL]**

**[TRUTH BULLET – BROKEN NECK]**

“I’ve got it!” I shouted.

**[BREAK!]**

“Seiryo also had his neck broken and his skull caved in, presumably when he hit the floor. I… think it’s safe to say that the fall killed him instantly,” I said.

“I think we’re looking at it the wrong way, honestly,” Kokuro said.

“Looking at what the wrong way?” Delawyn asked.

“We’re looking at it like Seiryo got murdered, but I wanna know why Seiryo was even up there in the first place,” Kokuro said. “Getting to my bloody point: what if Seiryo’s the mastermind?”

“Wait- Seiryo, the mastermind? Bullshit!” Hisoka said. “I think me, Dee, or Maemi would’ve noticed something up!”

“He had a card to go to the Mastermind’s room, and he couldn’t even remember his own talent up until the last trial,” Kadiri said.

“It… does make a little sense when put like that…” Satoko said.

“No way! There’s no way Seiryo was the mastermind!” Hiroshi said.

“Yet he makes the most sense to be, now…” Kenji said.

“I have severe doubts it was Seiryo, too,” Delawyn said.

“I thought you were above believing in blind faith rather than the facts,” Dai said.

But I agreed with Delawyn, Hiroshi, and Hisoka. There was just no way that Seiryo was the mastermind, was there?

“Upupu, looks like you guys are split down the middle!” Monokuma said. “And you know what that means!”

“Fuck, no. Not again.” Kenji shook his head as Monokuma slid a key into the panel in front of him, our podiums raising into the air once more.

Eventually, they stopped in two straight lines – me, Delawyn, Hisoka, and Hiroshi on one side, and Kokuro, Kenji, Dai, Satoko, and Kadiri on the other.

It… seemed like overwhelming odds, that only one person who didn’t already trust me completely was on my side. But I still had to prove the mastermind wasn’t Seiryo!

 

**[SCRUM DEBATE – START!]**

**SEIRYO IS THE MASTERMIND**

**SEIRYO IS NOT THE MASTERMIND**

“Seiryo had the Monokuma **card** needed to access the office!” Kokuro said.

“Didn’t we find evidence that showed he was given the **card**?” Hisoka said.

“Seiryo was the only one among us who wouldn’t say his **talent** ,” Kadiri said.

“His **talent** got erased from his memory. He literally couldn’t remember it,” Delawyn said.

“Bweh… Ultimate **Doctor** ’s a pretty influential title in a killing game,” Kenji said.

“Not if you’ve only just remembered you’re a **doctor**!” I said.

“D-Doesn’t all the **evidence** point towards him…?” Satoko asked.

“There’s a lot of **evidence** proving it wasn’t him, too…” Hiroshi said.

“He’s our biggest candidate for the **Mastermind** ,” Dai said.

“He’s probably the least likely among us to be the **mastermind**!” I said.

“And this is our answer!” We all shouted.

**[BREAK!]**

“I’m pretty sure if Seiryo was the mastermind, this game would’ve already ended when he died!” I said.

“We can’t just decide who the mastermind is based on ‘pretty sure’. We need some bloody evidence,” Kokuro said.

There is evidence. I just need to present it.

 

**[NON-STOP DEBATE 3 – START!]**

“We need evidence of Seiryo’s innocence,” Kokuro began.

“We can’t just decide it based on our bloody feelings!”

“Was **Maemi’s point** not enough for you?” Delawyn asked.

“She’s theorizing, but we have no way of knowing if **this is automated** ,” Dai said.

“Good point. If this was automatic,” Kadiri began.

“then **the game could continue even after Seiryo died**.”

“Surely there’s some way to prove his innocence!” Hiroshi said.

“What, like **some note** that just says, ‘I’m not the mastermind’?”

**[TRUTH BULLET – NOTE TO SEIRYO]**

“I agree with that!” I shouted.

**[BREAK!]**

“There actually is a note that proves his innocence,” I said.

“What, like some signed field trip note?” Kokuro said.

“Er, no. Take a look at this,” I said, showing the note to the courtroom. “This was found in Seiryo’s room.

 

_Here’s a little present from me to you, since you were so clever and discovered your talent on your own before we were even prepared to hint it to you! I’m sure you’ll figure this out quickly, too <3 Signed, the Mastermind_

 

“If Seiryo was the mastermind, I doubt he’d address a note to himself in the third person. Not to mention, the note’s personality seems too casual for him,” Delawyn said.

“I-I see… if it was just the note _or_ the continued game, it might be just a coincidence, but if both of them are true…” Satoko said.

“… Alright, you’ve convinced me,” Kokuro said.

“Why were you so insistent on Seiryo being the mastermind, anyway?” I asked.

“… Because he was the most suspicious? He had that card, after all,” Kokuro said.

“And is that the only reason?” I asked.

“Why are you getting on my bloody case?” Kokuro asked.

“There’s no point to pointless accusations, Maemi,” Delawyn said. “Besides, there’s more concrete evidence to discuss.”

I was confused why Delawyn would stop me, but… I trusted her, so I followed her lead.

“Concrete evidence? Like what?” Hisoka asked.

“There was more to that video,” Delawyn said. “You, Maemi, and Dai should know what I’m talking about.”

She’s probably talking about…

**[SELECT A TRUTH BULLET!]**

…

…

…

**[TRUTH BULLET – MYSTERIOUS FIGURE]**

“I’ve got it!” I shouted.

**[BREAK!]**

 

“When we watched the video further,” I began, “we saw someone go up to the fourth floor about thirty minutes after Seiryo fell.”

“They had a sledgehammer with them. They smashed the cameras Delawyn set up around the door, and then left,” Dai said.

“Monokuma, can you play that footage, too?” I asked.

“Oh… alright, I guess,” Monokuma said. The screen behind him began playing another round of footage.

Someone came up the third-floor staircase to the fourth floor, their identity obscured by a black cloak, a black mask, and black gloves. They turned to the mastermind’s door, raised their sledgehammer, and smashed the cameras Delawyn had set up. They then turned back to the stairwell, and left the way they came.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that this is the mastermind,” I said. “The mastermind that killed Seiryo.”

“Yeah, but… who are they?” Hiroshi asked.

“We can’t make anything out about them,” Kadiri said.

“So it’s a dead-end lead,” Kenji said.

“Ugh, all of our leads have been bloody dead ends,” Kokuro said.

No… there had to be a lead that wasn’t a dead end!

“U-Um… what about the Monokuma card?” Satoko asked. “D-Did you investigate the mastermind’s lab with it? S-Surely you found something…”

“Sorry, Satoko, we didn’t even get into the lab,” I said.

“ **Bullshit** ,” Kadiri said.

 

“But we-“

Kadiri cut me off. “You had the Monokuma card with you.”

“You had to have gone into the lab.”

“You’re not stupid, Maemi, I know you’d go inside.”

 

Kadiri’s challenging me…

I need to make her see why I couldn’t have entered the lab!

 

**[CROSS SWORDS 1 – START!]**

“You’re telling me,”

“You didn’t investigate the lab at all?”

“That’s surprisingly unthorough of you, Maemi.”

“And just when I thought you might be a slightly competent detective!”

“I am competent with investigations!”

“I’ve saved us every other time, right?”

“I really couldn’t get into the lab!”

“You’ve got no proof of that.”

“There’s **no way you didn’t enter that lab,** ”

“You **had the means to do so,** ”

“And you’re such a shitty liar.”

“So, stop lying and just tell everybody what you found!”

I’ve got evidence for why I couldn’t get into the lab.

I just need to hit Kadiri with that evidence!

“You’ve got no proof of that.”

“There’s **no way you didn’t enter that lab,** ”

“You **had the means to do so,** ”

**[TRUTH BLADE – BROKEN MONOKUMA CARD]**

“I’ll cut through that contradiction!” I shouted.

**[BREAK!]**

“I couldn’t get into the Monokuma lab because the card I picked off of Seiryo’s body was broken!” I said.

“Broken?” Kadiri tilted her head.

“I tried to use it on the card reader, but it didn’t even respond to me sliding it through,” I said.

“Did you try any other cards on the reader?” Kenji asked.

“Well, no, I didn’t, but the fact the card worked when Seiryo used it should’ve been proof enough,” I said. “Besides, if I tried my ID on the door, then I would’ve been rejected, and possibly punished,” I said. I looked to Monokuma to see if he would back up my claim.

“Zzz…”

Monokuma… had fucking fallen asleep?

“Oi! We’re having a trial, and Maemi’s asking you a question!” Kokuro shouted.

“Huh? Wuzza… Oh. Yep! If an unauthorized person or card attempts access to the Mastermind’s lab, they will be punished by the Mononurses!” Monokuma said.

“Guessing that’ll be an official rule by tomorrow,” Dai said.

“Yep!” Monokuma said.

“But… where do we go from here?” Satoko asked.

“Beats me,” Kenji said.

I… had some idea of where to go from here. We still hadn’t discussed several pieces of evidence.

…

…

…

Why was my heart pounding so hard?

It was like the onset of an anxiety attack, but without at least the solace of becoming unresponsive to what was happening around me.

I… I was afraid of this trial.

I was afraid to find out which of these people trapped us in here and sent seven people to their deaths.

Mokichi,

Kinzo,

Tae,

Airou,

Aeko,

Korin,

and Seiryo…

…

Why?

Why was I so afraid?

What… was there to be afraid of?

I was going to find the mastermind...

...

...

Wasn't I?

**[CLASS TRIAL – SUSPENDED]**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... no, unfortunately, daily updates for the fic for the rest of the fic will not become a thing. I probably wouldn't have written the chapter as fast as I did if I didn't do writing sprints with my boyfriend. 
> 
> This chapter may receive revisions later, but regardless, I decided to publish today because it took so long for me to write some of the other chapters.


	17. Chapter 4: Revisit Lives That Never Were (Class Trial 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will also once again mention this fic has a Discord chat and a Tumblr blog!
> 
> https://discordapp.com/invite/kFcPht5 Discord Chat  
> https://danganronpa-s-kia.tumblr.com/ Tumblr blog
> 
> Feel free to check them out!

**[MONOKUMA THEATRE]**

“…”

“…”

“…”

“Hey, do you like my impression of the protagonist?”

**[MONOKUMA THEATRE]**

**[CLASS TRIAL – RESUME!]**

 

I closed my eyes and tried to think how I’d progress the trial from here. What evidence most caught my attention?

“I think the mastermind’s shorter than Seiryo, based on the video,” Kadiri said.

“We’re all shorter than Seiryo,” Kokuro replied.

“I wasn’t, but…” Kenji added, and all of us figured he didn’t need to say more.

“So, that tells us nothing,” Dai said.

“Man, what evidence do we even have left to discuss?” Hisoka asked, scratching the back of his neck.

Wait…

There is a piece of evidence we haven’t discussed at all yet!

**[SELECT A TRUTH BULLET!]**

**…**

**…**

**…**

**[TRUTH BULLET – PINPRICK IN NECK]**

“Here!” I shouted.

**[BREAK!]**

“We still need to talk about the pinprick in Seiryo’s neck!” I said.

“Eh? Pinprick in his neck?” Hiroshi asked.

“Um… while me and Delawyn were investigating the body, we found a wound in his neck. It was so tiny I didn’t think it would’ve made much of a difference to the case, but any evidence is better than none, right?” I said.

“But when would he have been pricked in the neck?” Kadiri asked. “We didn’t see anybody stab it on the video.”

“A-And it seems like such a minor injury…” Satoko added.

“It’s still probably worth discussing where he got it,” Delawyn said. “It might be crucial to this case.”

As usual, Delawyn’s right.

If I can set things straight as to when everything occurred, we should be able to piece together how Seiryo was pricked!

 

**[SHADOW BLADING – START!]**

…

…

…

**[QUESTION ONE – What side of Seiryo’s neck was the pinprick on?]**

**Left**

Right

**[INCORRECT.]**

…

…

…

**[QUESTION ONE: What side of Seiryo’s neck was the pinprick on?]**

Left

**Right**

…

…

…

**[QUESTION TWO: When did Seiryo receive the pinprick?]**

Before he went up

**During his death**

After his death

…

…

…

“It’s all coming together!” I shouted.

**[BREAK!]**

“Seiryo must’ve received the pinprick when he checked the door!” I said.

“… Excuse me. Can you repeat that?” Kokuro asked, glaring daggers at me.

I felt a slight jump in my heart, but couldn’t back down. “I said, Seiryo must’ve received the pinprick when he tried to open the door.”

“ **Are you serious?** ” Kenji said.

 

“Seiryo received the pinprick when trying to open the door?” Kenji said.

“W-Well, yeah,” I said.

“ **Sorry, that’s impossible,** ” Dai said.

“… Huh?” I asked.

Am I… being attacked on two sides?

I guess what I said is pretty outlandish, but I know I can solve this crime and make them see the truth.

I just need to hit them both with the right evidence!

 

[So, you need an explanation of what just happened?]

[Well, you’re about to start a Duel Daggers.]

[Unlike Cross Swords, where you’re trying to fight one person, and unlike Nonstop Debate, where everyone is fighting each other…]

[Now, two people are attempting to contest your point.]

[Duel Daggers happens when two or more people contest your argument.]

[For the most part, functionally, it’s similar to Cross Swords.]

[However, you need to hit two different arguments with both of the correct truth blades to progress.]

[Hope this was helpful!]

 

**[DUEL DAGGERS 1 – START!]**

“Bweh… you’re telling us Seiryo got stabbed in the neck during the crime?”

“That’s bullshit and you know it.”

“Precisely. The whole thing was recorded.”

“Maemi, dear, you’re better than this.”

“Why are you fighting for something so dumb?”

**[ADVANCE!]**

“No, him being stabbed during the crime is the only thing that makes sense!”

“If you’d just let me explain, I could prove it!”

…

“There’s nothing to prove…”

“There’s nothing you can prove.”

“There’s **nothing that could’ve stabbed him.** ”

**[TRUTH BLADE – COMPLEX STRING MECHANISM]**

**“There is! The string mechanism that was tied up to the door!”**

**[OUT!]**

…

“There are just so many things wrong with that statement I don’t know where to begin.”

“First off, you’re not implying **the string stabbed him,** right dear?”

“And second, even if this string mechanism and Seiryo’s injury are somehow connected,”

“There’s **no way you could even set off the mechanism with just string.** ”

**[TRUTH BLADE – WEAK STRING]**

**“The string was weak!”**

**[BREAK!]**

“Okay, so first off, there was a complex string mechanism above the door,” I began. “It was hard to see on the tape, because the video quality is… pretty bad. Um, getting back on topic, it took me a while to find the end of it, but I eventually did.”

“The end of it had been tied in a loop, right?” Hisoka asked.

“Yeah, it had, but the loop had been snapped down the middle,” I continued. “The string was pretty weak. I could cut through it with my Student ID, so it’s probably not out of the question that the Monokuma card could have, too.”

“So… the loop was just tied around the card reader, and snapped when Seiryo slid his card through?” Delawyn asked.

“Yeah, basically,” I returned.

“So, the string was cut, and that set off the mechanism… Interesting. But that doesn’t explain what stabbed Seiryo, or how,” Dai said.

“I imagine whatever weapon you could attach to string not only wouldn’t have enough force to stab someone without being noticeable,” Kokuro began, “but would leave a much larger wound.”

There is a piece of evidence that might be able to get Kokuro to realise how Seiryo could’ve been pinpricked, even with a string mechanism.

 

**[NON-STOP DEBATE 4 – START!]**

“Whatever weapon could’ve been tied to the string,” Kokuro began,

“ **Wouldn’t have had enough force** to prick Seiryo’s neck.”

“So, it was a larger weapon?” Kenji asked.

“I-It couldn’t be a larger weapon,” Satoko said.

“Y-Yeah, we **would’ve seen it on the video** , right?” Hiroshi said.

“Is it really impossible to discern how he was injured?” Delawyn asked.

“Bloody hell, I don’t know,” Kokuro said.

“I’m just pointing out **the weapon paradox.** ”

…

I don’t think it’s quite a weapon paradox like Kokuro says…

I think there’s actually something very sensible about what Seiryo was pricked with.

I just need to hit them with the right evidence!

…

 “Whatever weapon could’ve been tied to the string,” Kokuro began,

“ **Wouldn’t have had enough force** to prick Seiryo’s neck.”

**[TRUTH BULLET – SINKER ON NEEDLE]**

“No, that’s wrong!” I shouted.

**[BREAK!]**

 

“The weapon Seiryo was struck with was a needle,” I began. “However, that needle had a sinker attached to it!”

“A what attached?” Kokuro asked.

“Oh, you know when you go fishing? Those little metal balls that weigh down the line? I think that’s what Maemi’s talking about,” Hiroshi said.

“Yeah, I think so. There was a little ball attached to the needle,” I said. “Because the weapon and the weight are so small, they didn’t really pick up on camera, and it gave it the weight it needed to actually puncture Seiryo’s skin.”

“So, how do we know it hit Seiryo at that moment, and it wasn’t an injury inflicted prior to the crime?” Dai asked.

“Well, for one, the wound inflicted by it was still somewhat wet,” I said.

And there was a second reason for my reasoning, too…

**[SELECT A TRUTH BULLET!]**

…

**[TRUTH BULLET – BLOODIED NEEDLE]**

“This should prove it!” I said.

**[BREAK!]**

“The needle also had blood on it, so I can safely say that Seiryo was stabbed with that needle specifically. Unless, of course, anyone else would like to claim it hit them before me and Delawyn set up the cameras,” I said.

“Was anything else off about the needle?” Kadiri asked.

“Uh, I don’t think so… I think the needle kind of smelled like nuts, but that’s it,” I said.

“Any specific kind?” Dai asked.

“That’s an oddly direct question,” Delawyn said.

“Uh… I dunno. Almonds?” I said.

…

Hold on.

Almonds? Isn’t that what … _that_ smells like?

But… there’s only one person here that could’ve…

…

…

…

 

**[SELECT SOMEONE!]**

Tae Kawada

Kenji Katayama

Kinzo Takashi

Hisoka Ongakundo

Kokuro Shiroko

Seiryo Yuuma

Dai Kamowa

Hiroshi Ohta

Aeko Kakatto

Airou Himura

Maemi Akemi

Satoko Uesaka

Korin Uesaka

Kadiri Nakashima

Mokichi Hatsu

**[Delawyn Fukui]**

 “…”

**[BREAK!]**

No…

No, no, no!

I’ve made a mistake somewhere.

I have to have.

Delawyn’s not the mastermind.

She can’t be.

There has to be a different answer!

It can’t be her, I just know it!

 

“You’ve realized something, Maemi,” Kadiri said. “Care to share with the rest of us?”

I didn’t respond.

I didn’t want to respond.

I couldn’t respond.

It couldn’t be Delawyn.

It had to be a lie. There’s no way she poisoned that needle with the cyanide.

Someone stole it from her to frame her for the murder.

 

I felt a pair of familiar eyes lock onto me, and hesitantly, I turned my head to face them. I was staring into a familiar, calm, emerald green…

I was looking into the eyes of my friend. Not only that, but the eyes of someone far more able to take out the mastermind than I was.

…

I knew what I had to do.

It… was reprehensible. To just condemn the rest of us to die.

But… the look in her eyes told me that she was far more capable of dealing with the mastermind if they tried to skimp out on their execution.

I’m sorry, everyone…

But we need to eliminate the mastermind at all costs, even ourselves. We can’t let their evil escape this place…!

 

“… I guess the jig is up, then,” I said.

“Huh? What do you mean, Maemi?” Hisoka asked.

“… I can’t exactly get out of it. I… was the one who set that trap,” I said.

“… You?” Delawyn said.

“W-Wait, Maemi?! Y-You’re the culprit?” Hisoka said. “N-No way, that’s bullshit! It’s gotta be bullshit, right?”

“Sorry, Hisoka… it’s the truth,” I replied.

“H-How could you…!” Satoko asked.

“Really, you? And honestly, what did you hope to accomplish with that trap?” Kadiri asked.

“I… was trying to find the mastermind. I-I thought they would open the door…” I said.

My heart was pounding fast. I needed a fast verdict, or an anxiety attack would take over…

And if that happened…

… they might realise everything I was saying was a lie.

 

“The needle smelled of almonds, you said, correct?” Dai asked.

“Y-Yeah, I did…” I said.

“But only Delawyn has access to cyanide,” Dai added.

“I… I… I stole it.” I braced myself against the trial podium, trying to channel my anxiety to my eyes in hopes of crying and making myself look more convincing. “When I spent the night with Delawyn, I… took the cyanide with me the next morning.”

My legs began to tremble, and my brace against the podium was wavering.

My anxiety was going to take over…

I looked at Delawyn. This is what she wanted, right? That’s why she set up this whole trial.

She’d hoped to kill the mastermind, but when she’d killed Seiryo instead, she must’ve decided to use the trial to kill the mastermind instead. That’s why she didn’t come forward after the murder.

She’d already made the decision she’d sacrifice us all to eliminate the mastermind… I had to at least help her with that.

Right?

Delawyn remained silent, and… that was even worse for me. Any reaction would’ve been better than none.

I couldn’t think. I couldn’t keep lying. I wanted to. I wanted to save her. I just wanted her to be okay.

…

…

…

 

**[POV CHANGE: DELAWYN FUKUI]**

…

…

Maemi was covering for me.

When we’d started this trial, that was the response I’d hoped for.

But now… I wasn’t so sure.

If I passed the trial, it was a surefire way I’d eliminate the mastermind. That was the goal from the start. And Maemi had already decided she’d assist that goal, clearly.

But… is it really worth it to send everyone else to their death?

There were innocent people in this courtroom.

… Could I really just sacrifice them all?

Maemi, Hisoka…

This… wouldn’t be the only opportunity to find the mastermind, surely.

It wasn’t that I didn’t fear death. Nobody’s entirely fearless of death. But… I set up that trap. I knew that my death would be the price for failure.

I… had hoped I wouldn’t fail. But… I did. And since I did, it’s better we minimize casualties that resulted from my actions.

I’m sorry, Maemi. I know you want to protect me, even at the cost of your own life. But I need to do the right thing. I need to protect everyone else here.

I know you’re smart and capable enough to find the mastermind. I put my faith in you.

I put my faith in the 81st class, to find the mastermind behind this killing game.

 

“That’s wrong,” I said. “Maemi never stole anything from my room.”

“Huh?” Hiroshi tilted his head.

“But if she didn’t take the cyanide from your room, that means you’re the culprit, doesn’t it?” Kadiri suggested. “After all, you were the only one with access to it, otherwise.”

I said nothing in response.

“W-Wait… I did! I did steal the cyanide!” Maemi pushed herself to her feet, bracing herself heavily against the podium.

“Look, let’s just put who did it aside for the time being! Did the fall or the cyanide kill Seiryo?” Hisoka asked.

“… I put on enough cyanide to ensure a quick death for whoever got caught in the trap. However, the fall wasn’t exactly precedented, as was Seiryo getting caught in the trap,” I said.

“You didn’t put any cyanide on it, because I did!” Maemi said.

“Was there enough cyanide on there for symptoms of poisoning to show up?” Dai asked.

There were symptoms of poisoning.

The main symptom was…

**[SELECT A TRUTH BULLET!]**

**…**

**[TRUTH BULLET - REDDISH SKIN]**

“Got it.”

**[BREAK!]**

“Seiryo had a reddish tinge to his skin when we found him,” I said. “It’s difficult to see because his skin tone is very dark, but it’s there. That’s a symptom of cyanide poisoning.”

“…Why?” I heard Maemi whimper from across the courtroom.

I locked eyes with Maemi, and… the rest of the courtroom just seemed to fade into background noise. They seemed to ignore us, somehow… it was like only Maemi and I existed in the space, and her pale brown eyes bore into mine.

“… I’m sorry. I never wanted it to come to this,” I said. “I was initially going to let everyone die, but… I can’t do that. It’s the wrong thing to do.”

“I… I can’t lose you, Delawyn,” Maemi replied.

“You won’t lose me entirely. My goal will live on through you,” I said. “I couldn’t save everyone. Neither of us could… that was humanly impossible from the start. But you can still find the mastermind, and save who’s left.”

“I don’t…” Maemi continued to sob.

“It’s… fine. I’m…glad I knew you, Maemi, and I’m glad we were friends, even for just this short time. I just wish I could remember more about you,” I said. “Now… please. End this trial.”

“… **No** ,” Maemi said.

“… No?” I replied.

“You… can’t give up here! You’re placing way too much faith in me!” Maemi said. Her voice was shaky, like she was just barely holding together.

“Please, Maemi. Don’t let everyone else die to kill the mastermind as well. Don’t take the same route I considered,” I replied.

“I can’t let **you** die. I **won’t** let you die!” Maemi said.

Maemi… isn’t listening to me, and at the worst time to not do so.

I need her to realise the truth.

 

**[PANIC TALK ACTION – START!]**

“I won’t let you throw your life away!”

“Please, just let me do this for you!”

“Don’t do this, Delawyn!”

“Please, please don’t do this!”

**[TEMPO UP!]**

“We need to kill the mastermind!”

“Don’t just toss your life aside!”

“Listen to me, please!”

“Let me take the fall!”

**[TEMPO UP!]**

“Please, don’t!”

“Delawyn, listen!”

“Stop it! Stop it!”

“Aaaaaaaagh!”

“Please, no!”

**“Please, Delawyn! You have to end this game now, even if I die too!”**

**STAKE|OTHERS|AT|LIVES**

**OTHERS|LIVES|AT|STAKE**

“This is the end.”

**[BREAK!]**

“Maemi, there are more lives here at stake than yours or mine. I already considered disregarding everybody,” I said. “Does Hisoka’s life really have less value than mine to you? Do the lives of seven other people really hold less weight than mine?”

“I… I…” Maemi stammered. I knew this was the wrong thing to say, morally and as her friend, but… if I didn’t, she’d throw everyone else’s lives away.

“Please… I failed. If a culprit fails, they’re executed. That’s my price to pay for my mistake,” I said. “But I know you can find the mastermind, and I know your heart is kinder than just letting everyone else here die for my sake. You won’t be alone fighting to find the mastermind, either. Hisoka, everyone else here, will help you.”

Maemi… collapsed to the floor again, and began crying.

Maemi… I’m sorry.

“ **I committed the murder** ,” I shouted firmly over the voices of the courtroom.

“… Wait, you, Dee?!” Hisoka asked. “H-How?!”

“I set the trap last night before Maemi even arrived up on the first floor. I already turned on the cameras nearest the Mastermind’s door, so she wouldn’t come close and discover the trap,” I explained.

“Is that true, Maemi?” Hiroshi asked.

“Pah. She has everything to gain by affirming that if she’s the bloody culprit,” Kokuro said.

“But she already confessed before… if she is the culprit, Maemi’s already given up, hasn’t she?” Hiroshi said.

I looked Maemi in the eye. I didn’t say anything. I just… prayed that she would tell the truth. That she would listen to me again.

“… It… I… I didn’t… She did tell me she turned on those cameras first,” Maemi said. Her eyes and nose were dripping with tears. I could only offer a remorseful look.

“I’m also the only one who had access to any cyanide. It’s still in my room. You can go check if you want,” I said.

“Couldn’t Maemi have put it back after she was done with it?” Kenji asked.

“No, she couldn’t have,” I said. “That would’ve required her to plan this murder several days in advance, had a needle with cyanide on it for several days, and have known about the Mastermind’s door before it even showed up. She was as baffled as any of us when it did.”

“B-But where’d the needle come from…?” Hiroshi asked.

“We all received a sewing kit in our rooms. I took the needle from there,” I said.

“Huh? I got a toolkit,” Hisoka said.

“Same here…” Kenji said.

“W-Well, I got a sewing kit… maybe girls got sewing kits and boys got toolkits?” Satoko suggested.

“Either way, I got a sewing kit, and I took a needle from it for the crime,” I said, taking a deep breath.

“… Okay. Maemi, could you end this? Close the trial.”

…

…

…

 

**[POV CHANGE – MAEMI AKEMI]**

I swallowed all of my anxiety, all of my emotions, and gave a tearful nod.

Delawyn… I forgive you.

I hope that Seiryo does, too… and that you’ll forgive me.

 

**[CLIMAX INFERENCE – START!]**

“The incident began before the nighttime announcement yesterday. The culprit had told me of a trap they could use to ensnare the mastermind. What I hadn’t imagined though, was that the culprit was planning to do far more than ensnare the mastermind. The culprit didn’t know if just exposing the mastermind would end the game, so… they opted for murder instead.

“The culprit began to set up their trap on the door, that would go off the moment someone interacted with the keycard reader required to open the door. The culprit then tied a needle to the end of the trap and weighed down the needle by attaching a fishing weight to it, so that, when falling, it would have the force to prick someone’s skin. They then smeared cyanide onto the tip of the needle. They finished up their trap by tying a small wire that would break easily around the keycard reader, to act as a trigger.

“The culprit then called me up to the fourth floor, turning on the cameras near the Mastermind’s Lab, so I would have no chance of going near it and either discovering their trap, or unexpectedly triggering it. The culprit and I turned the rest of the cameras on, and left afterwards to go to bed.

“At some point in the last couple of days, the mastermind gave Seiryo an envelope with two things in it: a keycard to access the mastermind’s room, and a note. We couldn’t discern the handwriting, so there were no hints as to who left the note.

“Seiryo went upstairs with the keycard to investigate the door. The culprit and I didn’t think the mastermind would just hand somebody a keycard to their lab, so we didn’t think to warn him or anyone else of the cameras we had set up there. When he swiped the card, it snapped the string and triggered the trap, and the fishing weight on the end of the needle swung into his neck.

“Seiryo went into a fit due to the poison, stumbling backwards and swinging over the rail, falling four stories down. Whether he was dead before, or when he hit the ground, we don’t know. But he was certainly dead when we found him, only an hour later.”

**“This… is the crime of Delawyn Fukui, the Ultimate Assassin.”**

**[BREAK!]**

As I drew the trial to a close, every emotion that I was feeling surged forth once more, and I broke into a fit of loud and disgusting crying. Anxiety, despair, grief, it all swirled into one, and I felt as though I’d be sick and vomit all my emotions over the podium, as I cried so hard that the collar of my shirt began to stain with tears.

“Dee… It was you,” Hisoka said. “But… why?”

“Let her explain after we conclude the trial and vote,” Dai said.

“Righty-o! Everyone take out your student phones and cast your votes for who you think the culprit is!” Monokuma said. “And remember, not voting will be punishable by execution too!”

I knew I had to vote, but… I still couldn’t bear to condemn her, even as I knew everyone else in the room would.

I could barely see who I was voting past my tears, but I looked up to the screen as the votes were counted. Eight for Delawyn, and one for me. And… I knew who voted for me. That was me.

**[CLASS TRIAL – END.]**

“You guys are on a real roll! Four times you’ve come here, four times you’ve got it right! The culprit behind the murder of Seiryo Yuuma, the Ultimate Somethingorother- I mean, Doctor, was none other than the Ultimate Assassin, Delawyn Fukui!” Monokuma announced.

“Fuck you!” I shouted. “Fuck you, and fuck your stupid game!”

“Eh? What’s her problem?” Monokuma tilted his head, tapping his chin pensively.

“The hell do you mean, what’s her problem?!” Hisoka yelled.

“She didn’t get _this_ emotionally distraught when I killed her other classmates,” Monokuma said.

“I-I understand her reaction, though…” Satoko stammered.

“Bweh… same here,” Kenji added.

… My tears were still falling.

Delawyn would’ve never loved me, even if we weren’t in this situation, no matter how hard I wanted her too.

And now, thanks to this stupid fucking motive, and this stupid fucking game…

… I wouldn’t even have her around as my friend.

I hated this fucking game.

I hated it with all my heart.

I hated it more than anything else in the world…!

I hated it, hated it, hated it!

I fucking hated this bear!

 

Before I was aware of my own anger, I’d begun charging at Monokuma, my hands clenched into fists and my eyes full of nothing but rage.

But before I could get to him, I felt a pair of arms hold me back.

“NO, GET OFF ME!” I cried out, my voice louder than it had ever been.

“ **There’s no point to two of us dying today, Maemi.** ” I heard Delawyn’s voice fill my ears, and I deduced she was the one holding me back.

And… I felt my rage disperse almost immediately, and my emotions revert back to grief. I felt Delawyn turn me around and rest my head on her shoulder, stroking my back even as I cried more.

“… I can’t lift your grief, Maemi, but I’m grateful you even feel anything,” She said, before looking up at the rest of the class.

“Man, I know you’re the Ultimate Assassin, but I didn’t think you’d cave under the pressure,” Kokuro said.

“It’s not so much that I caved under pressure. I’d… hoped I’d kill the mastermind, but I killed someone completely innocent. I’m not even sure I deserve for you all to be so kind to me right now. I… was just destined to be a villain, I guess,” Delawyn said.

“That’s not true and you know it!” Hisoka said. “You kill people, sure, but there’s no way you’re a bad person! You’re our friend, Dee!”

I sobbed, choking out my addition. “You’ve been nothing but kind to me, Delawyn… You’ve always at least tried to empathize with everyone and be kind, and tried to save us all…”

“I… nearly killed you all,” Delawyn said, looking towards the floor.

“I did, too! I was ready to throw everyone else’s lives away!” I rested my hands on Delawyn’s shoulders. “If that’s your mark of being a horrible person, then I’m right down there with you!”

Delawyn… went silent at that.

“You still never told us why you did it,” Kadiri said, scratching her cheek. “You gonna do so, or take that secret to your grave?”

“… I never thought Seiryo would get caught in this trap. In… a more ideal universe, the mastermind would’ve fallen for the trap, and we’d all be safe now,” Delawyn explained. “I never meant to kill Seiryo, but… I did have the intent to kill someone. So… stop saying I’m a good person.”

“I won’t, you can’t make me!” I said.

I was aware I sounded like an insolent child, but I just wanted Delawyn to see herself the way I saw her. She wasn’t a demon, or a bad person. She was human, and… her heart was good. I knew it was.

So… I continued.

“You keep trying to push away the notion you’re a good person, but you’re ignoring everything good you’ve ever done for us! Without your autopsies, without your help, all of us would be dead by now! You… you’ve always put everyone else above yourself, even now! Just please, see yourself as the good person I know you are!!!”

“… I… don’t know how to respond to that. I… if I say I’m a good person, it’ll feel like I’m just desecrating the crime I committed, and Seiryo’s life,” Delawyn replied.

“That’s exactly what she’s talking about! If you were a bad person, you wouldn’t care at all about Seiryo or the crime!” Hisoka shouted.

“… Maybe you’re right…” Delawyn said. “Everyone… I’m sorry it came to this. But… I’m glad I knew everyone here, even… for a short amount of time.”

I… could even hear hints of choking up in Delawyn’s voice. That will I thought was hard as stone… She was as afraid as any of us would be at dying.

I felt something soft press against my forehead. I looked at Delawyn to see her chin level with my nose. I heard a puckering noise, before she pulled away. I raised my hand and fingers to meet where she… kissed me.

“Maemi… I’m sorry that I never got to see your talent in action. Please, believe me when I say that I would’ve liked to have done so. Please… find the mastermind for me. There can’t be any more killings after this one,” Delawyn said. “Wherever I go – heaven, hell, purgatory, the afterlife… I’ll keep watch over you and Hisoka.”

“Geez, you done? We’ve got an execution to get through!” Monokuma shouted.

“… I’m done,” Delawyn said, letting go of me and turning away to face Monokuma. “… Do what you feel is right.”

“Finally, I can’t stand this sentimental crap! And have we got a heart-pounding, beat-dropping punishment prepared for the Ultimate Assassin, Delawyn Fukui!” Monokuma said, but…

… I was focused on Delawyn’s words.

Do what I feel is right…?

What I feel is right…

… is not giving into despair.

“Let’s give it everything we’ve got!”

Is not giving in to this stupid game and its horrible mechanics anymore.

I… I couldn’t just sit here and do nothing while Delawyn was slaughtered!

I did nothing the last three times, and if I fight, I… at least have a chance of saving her!!

“Iiiiiit’s Punishment Time!”

**I CAN’T LET THIS EXECUTION GO AHEAD!**

[DELAWYN FUKUI HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY.]

[TIME FOR THE PUNISHMENT!]

Delawyn stood on top of a high-rise building. Rain poured all over the environment, and various lights streamed across the ground. A combat knife was strapped to her thigh, and a sniper rifle hung across her back. In the distance, on another building, were a group of Monokumas in fancy dresses and tuxedos, a single one marked by a target on its forehead.

As Delawyn unstrapped the sniper rifle from her back and took aim at it, a pistol shot was fired, striking the side of the sniper rifle and knocking her aim off-balance. She looked to the source to see a pair of Monokumas in secret service uniforms.

**[Ultimate Assassin in: Urban Chaos in the Pacific City!]**

Delawyn attempted to fire a shot at one of the Monokumas at close range, only to discover the pistol shot had rendered her rifle useless. Tossing it, she instead opted to leap to the next building. The Monokumas remained in pursuit; while they never managed to hit her with their shots, Delawyn never managed to lose ground on her pursuers.

 

It was dangerous to do so. I knew interfering with the execution could get me killed instead.

But I couldn’t just let Delawyn die, no matter what the stupid rules said!

Getting across the rooftops was difficult. I wasn’t athletic like Delawyn, and wasn’t enhanced by robotics like the Monokumas.

I… was almost entirely fueled by my desperation. And… that was what kept me ahead of the Monokumas, somehow, and caught up with Delawyn.

 

Delawyn leapt across the rooftops and took various routes in her escape attempts, eventually leading the assassin to an abandoned construction site. The wood had been eaten by termites, and steel beams had rusted over and been left haphazardly on the floor. A sheet of metal hung from a crane by rusty chains, over fifteen stories above the ground. Delawyn leapt forth onto the sheet of metal, looking up at the crane’s length and sizing it up.

 

As Delawyn got onto the crane, I turned around and outstretched my arms, trying desperately to stop the Monokumas pursuing her. If she could just survive this execution, if I could just get in their way long enough for her to survive…

The Monokumas pulled their guns on me, and I flinched, anticipating the gunshots that would end my life. If it saved Delawyn’s, I’d gladly do so.

But before the gunshots broke out, I felt something pull me back by my shirt, and I landed on the heavy sheet of metal.

Delawyn…?

I heard both of us breathing heavily as we sat back up. Strangely, the Monokumas had just decided to stop there at the side of the building, and didn’t bother shooting us. That… was odd.

I heard a metal straining noise, before hearing an odd snapping noise… and suddenly, the metal sheet lurched backwards.

One hand clutched tightly to the edge of the metal sheet, and the other found itself clutched around Delawyn’s hand. I tightened my grip as hard as I could on both.

Even now, the remaining metal chains lurched and strained under our weight…

 

“It’s not going to hold us both, Maemi!” Delawyn shouted.

“It has to! I’m not going to let go, Delawyn!” I said back, trying to pull myself back up with all my might. I could save her. I could save her. I could save her.

“Maemi… please, forgive me for this, but I can’t let you die.”

I felt a searing pain in my left wrist… No, I couldn’t let go, no matter what I felt! But… I couldn’t feel the nerves in my hand anymore… what happened?!

I looked down, praying that Delawyn was alright…

… but my worst fears were realised.

 

A bloody knife and something unknown clutched over her chest, Delawyn hurtled towards the ground at breakneck speeds. Below her were the sections of haphazardly placed and rusty steel beams. Delawyn closed her eyes one last time, her face a serene, yet sorrowful smile.

And then, she hit the beams below, mangling her body and killing her instantly.

 

I began to scream in anguish. I couldn’t feel my left hand, and I’d just watched Delawyn fall to her death. I’d failed to save her, and now she was gone forever.

But strangely enough, as I screamed… I began to feel calm.

No… It felt more like I couldn’t feel anything. Like my world was about to fade out. Like exhaustion was taking over.

I felt a pair of hands grab my right arm, and pull me back up over onto the building. I could make out shapes… I think Hisoka had a hold of me? He was trying to say something, but…

I couldn’t make it out. I…

…

As Hisoka’s yelling continued…

… my vision faded to black.

 

**[CHAPTER 4 – END.]**

**SURVIVORS: 8…?**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this one came out pretty fast, though not quite daily. Chapter 5 will take a while, as there's important research for me to do for the chapter, and I have 3 assessment pieces coming up for University. Like I said, while I hope to have the final chapters out by the end of the year, I'm not entirely sure that will be what happens. 
> 
> Hope that you've enjoyed, and I hope this gets to 1000 views before its completion!


	18. Chapter 5: Charging Towards The Line of Earth and Hell (Daily Life)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will once again mention this fic has a Discord chat and a Tumblr blog!
> 
> https://discordapp.com/invite/kFcPht5 Discord Chat  
> https://danganronpa-s-kia.tumblr.com/ Tumblr blog
> 
> Feel free to check them out!

…

…

…

I felt myself floating in an expanse of black.

I couldn’t see my body. I couldn’t see anything. My whole body felt like it had been enveloped in some horrid goop.

Where… was I?

Was I dreaming?

I felt something latch onto both of my wrists. Like… a thin string.

As soon as the string latched around…

I felt calm. Like somebody else would worry for me.

I shouldn’t have been calm. I should’ve been fighting as best I could…

I opened my mouth to scream, but no sound came out. It felt like that goop both had and hadn’t flowed inside.

My lungs felt like they were burning.

Was I breathing?

Was I about to die? Had I already died?

Was I doomed to spend eternity here, completely alone and in pain?

Was this my punishment for failing her…?

 

“…mi. Maemi! You okay?”

A voice startled me, and I opened my eyes – wait, weren’t they already open?

…

The black expanse disappeared.

As sensation returned to my body, I felt his hands on my shoulders. My left wrist… also really hurt, though my left hand was totally numb.

“Hisoka…?” I said, trying to sit up. Where were we?

 

Hisoka let go of my shoulders, smiling. “You were having a nightmare, I think. It’s okay. It’s understandable.”

“A nightmare, huh…” I replied, taking a look around. The room was sterile, mostly white, and reminded me of a medical clinic… Actually, it probably was a medical clinic.

Wait, there was nothing like this in the asylum…!

“Have we been rescued?” I exclaimed, sitting up as best I could.

“Sorry… no. Monokuma bent the rules a bit and let us use Seiryo’s lab to save you. Dai pointed out it’d be a violation of the rules to let you die.” Hisoka pulled out his student phone as I slumped down. “ _6\. If the students correctly identify the culprit, then only the culprit will face punishment._ You passed out after the execution and we all took you here, and we’ve all been taking shifts watching you.”

“… She really is gone,” I said, choking up, and not paying as much attention to Hisoka’s explanation as I probably should have.

“Maemi… I’m sorry,” Hisoka said. “She was a good person, and I know what she meant to you.”

“She’s dead… I could’ve stopped it, and I didn-“

“ **She** saved **you**. That thing would’ve only held the weight of one of you, and from where she was, she couldn’t save herself. I’m… not even sure she would’ve saved herself if she could, if it could’ve only been one of you.”

“I… It would’ve been better if she survived instead of me,”

“Don’t say that! It would’ve been better if Monokuma never put out that stupid motive! Then both Delawyn and Seiryo would still be alive! Hell, everyone would still be alive, and you’d be absolutely fine!”

“I know, but given the circumstances- Wait, what do you mean by I’d be absolutely fine? I get I passed out, but…” I tilted my head.

“Well, it’s why you’re in here. Delawyn… kind of cut off your left hand to save you…?”

I frowned, bringing my hand up…

 

“W-What…? It’s… gone?”

I turned my wrist around, the answer to my question staring me in the face.

“G-God…” My mouth went dry, and I felt my jaw starting to tremble as my breath hastened.

“Maemi- uh, it’s- deep breaths…?” Hisoka said, pushing his fingers together.

“D-Deep breaths?!” I shouted. “I’m missing my fucking hand!”

“I-I know!” Hisoka held his hands up. “Even so, you need to remain calm!”

“Did you not hear what I said? How do you expect me to remain calm when my left hand is totally fucking gone?!”

“Maemi, please! Seiryo would want you to-“

“Seiryo? Seiryo’s gone! How would you know what he wanted for me?!”

“Because I’ve seen the kind of person he is! Seiryo wanted nothing more than to see everyone healthy and safe, especially you!”

The room fell silent for a few moments, both of us breathing intensely. As the tension between us began to die down, I took some deep breaths… and realized what I’d said and done.

“… Maemi,” Hisoka began, “I know things are stressful right now. You’ve got every right to be upset. But please don’t take that anger out on me.”

“Hisoka… I-I’m sorry. You’re right,” I said, feeling tears forming at the corners of my eyes. “You… you didn’t deserve that.”

I wiped one of my eyes with my remaining hand. Hisoka tugged at his sleeve for a moment, before drying the other.

“Maemi… I know I can’t replace Delawyn or Seiryo. I know they were worth a lot to you,” Hisoka began, crouching down slightly at my bedside. “But, if you need to talk to someone, I’m here. I don’t think I can help fix your problems much, but I can support you as best I can.”

I sniffled slightly, leaning my head in towards his. “T-Thank you, Hisoka…”

I felt his forehead touch mine, and… I felt a slight rush of blood to my cheeks. We were pretty close right now, and… there was an overwhelming urge that I couldn’t ignore. It was stupid, to not say anything like I had with Delawyn, to just hope that Hisoka… felt the same way I did. And yet…

I leaned in slightly more, parting my lips-

 

“A-Am I interrupting something…?”

Hisoka and I pulled back at the same time in surprise as Satoko stood at the entry to the lab.

“N-No, not at all!” I held my hands- er, hand, up defensively.

“S-Sorry, I heard you two shouting, a-and I thought there was a problem…” Satoko scratched at her wrist.

“No, no problems at all,” Hisoka said, tucking his hands behind his back.

Satoko nodded, before ducking out of the room.

 

“So, can you get up?” Hisoka asked.

“Um… let me try,” I replied, trying to swing my legs over the bed. I guess I was both fortunate and unfortunate to not be connected to some medical stuff...

As soon as I put weight on my legs, I felt a heavy wave of dizziness.

“Maemi!” Hisoka called out, and I felt one hand land on my stomach and the other wrap around my shoulders.

“Ehe… that’s a no.” My head sunk slightly, and I still felt really dizzy.

“It’s okay. Lie back down and rest a bit longer. We won’t give up on you.”

“T-Thank you…”

I slid back under the covers of the bed, as the dizziness took over and I fell asleep once again.

 

**[MONOKUMA THEATRE]**

“How often do you feel alone in the world?”

“I feel alone all the time.”

“Seven billion people worldwide, 100 million people nation-wide…”

“And yet, loneliness is constant.”

“I’ve been lonely since my mothers died.”

“Sure, that was my fault, but I still feel so alone.”

“But it’s also a relief.”

“If I wasn’t alone, there’d be someone who might try to kill me.”

**[MONOKUMA THEATRE]**

 

…

I expected to come to as the morning announcement played, but I came to a few hours later. I felt around my pockets for my phone to check the time.

“It’s about 8am,” I heard Dai’s voice beside me.

“Ah, morning, Dai…” I replied, giving a weak smile.

“Hisoka told me you nearly collapsed, so I brought your breakfast with me.” Dai gestured to a tray next to my bed.

I thought about it for a bit, before shaking my head.

“Um… It’s not that I’m not grateful, it’s just… I’d like to join you guys back downstairs,”

“Are you sure? Hisoka—”

“Look, as much as I’m grateful for him as well, he’s not the boss of me,” I pouted, tossing the blankets off my body. “And I want to join you downstairs again.”

“Well, alright…”

I swung my legs over the bed, and stood up…

…

… I wobbled for a few moments, reaching back to steady myself.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah, I’m sure,” I said, letting go… and I was fine.

“Okay, I’m standing up! I should be okay,”

“Very well, let’s head downstairs, then. After breakfast, you can explore around here,”

 

We went down the stairs, eventually reaching the dining hall… but even as Dai and I approached, we could hear yelling on the other side.

“… can’t just give up and bury your head in the bloody dirt!”

“There’s no point, why’d you let her optimism…”

“… gonna either be stupidly optimistic or go bloody insane!”

“… stop arguing, please…”

I clenched my fist and took a deep breath, before gesturing with my arm for Dai to open the door.

The scene that greeted us on the other side was Kokuro and Kenji on opposite sides of the table, Kokuro’s palms digging into the sides of the chair she was supporting her weight on.

“You’re just gonna let Monokuma win this?” Kokuro was squinting harshly with her lips curled back into a snarl.

Kenji didn’t even blink. “I’m not letting him win this by just… not being so dumbly optimistic.”

“You just got your bloody lab, finally, and among us, we’re not very fucking likely to kill each other!”

“Bweh… what about Dai? Her lab opened too,”

I saw Dai frown slightly as Hiroshi raised his hand.

“Um… but don’t we all have access to Dai’s lab?” he said.

“We do, but if I recall correctly, all of the bows are for left-handed users,” Kadiri interjected.

“You’re left-handed?” I turned to face Dai, who offered a small nod as she moved towards Kenji and Kokuro.

“All that rubbish about the labs aside,” Kokuro began, “You’re just gonna shrivel away if you don’t give a bloody fuck!”

“Hmph… that’s not what you’ve been saying before,” Kenji replied. “Why’d you suddenly change?”

“Well, maybe I decided to get a new bloody view of the situation. If you’re not gonna try and do that too, then—then you might as well just **die!-** “

The argument was interrupted by the sound of skin slapping skin.

 

“Don’t. Say. That. Again.”

Dai’s voice punctuated the tense air with an authority that I’d never heard from her, silencing everyone as Kokuro raised her hand to her cheek. Her tense breath was the only sound in the room.

“… I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

Kokuro’s voice was barely a whimper as she sat back down. Her teeth were visibly biting into her lip, and I could see a tear at the corner of her eye.

Dai took a breath, before sitting down as well.

The argument had stopped, but I could still feel that tense atmosphere…

Hisoka offered me a nervous smile. “Aren’t you gonna say anything?”

I looked at Hisoka, then around the room, at seven pairs of eyes, all expecting some speech about never giving up.

But… no. I was too tired. Not physically, but emotionally.

Delawyn… Seiryo…

And… my hand…

I averted my eyes from the group, and feeling tears beginning to form in them, I sprinted out of the double doors and back down the hall to my bedroom. I heard footsteps behind me, but I couldn’t recognize them.

 

I opened my door to my room and threw myself inside, collapsing into my bed. I held tightly to my pillow, and began sobbing into it.

My tears and snot soaked it immediately on one side, and the half-dried blood of my wrist soaked the other.

Half of us were gone. More of us… probably would die, too. How could I keep lying to everybody? How could I keep saying it would be okay? That none of us would kill each other? If even Delawyn killed someone, if even I’d thought about murdering to leave…

… I had no right to be a leader. Every emotion I’d had got the better of me, and just led to even bigger problems.

Kenji, Kadiri, even Kokuro before her weird heel-face turn into my directionless optimism… they’d been right. They’d always been right, and I didn’t listen to them. I needed to just shut up and stop trying—

I heard my door open behind me.

“W-Wait… h-how’d you get i-in?!” I turned back to see Hisoka standing in the doorway.

“You didn’t lock the door,” Hisoka replied. “I’ll go away if you want.”

I went silent for a moment, before shaking my head. “N-No. Stay. Please.”

Hisoka closed the door behind him most of the way, but left a small amount open. As I rolled over and sat up, he sat at the foot of my bed.

“Are you alright, Maemi?”

I snorted. “No, I’m not okay. I… I’m not the saviour everyone needs! B-But someone has to be! A-And if I’m losing hope, th-then…”

Hisoka unbuckled his bracelet from around his wrist, letting all the fabric around it fall loose. “Is it OK if I wipe your face?”

I nodded weakly, lowering the pillow. God… he must’ve thought I looked disgusting, with tears and snot all over my face.

“I’m sorry, I pushed you to try and make things better,” Hisoka began wiping my face as he spoke. “I should’ve never put that pressure on you, especially given your anxiety and what already happened.”

I didn’t reply, I just kept sniffling.

“I… I don’t want to see your optimism die, though. I know it’s not strong right now, given what happened. But if you can rely on mine, then… Um. What I mean to say is, uh… Ugh, I can’t word this right. I want to give you hope, Maemi.”

As Hisoka lowered his arm, I tossed the pillow aside, wrapped my arms around his shoulders and buried my head between his shoulder and neck. I heard a slight gasp from him, before feeling his arms close around my shoulders.

“T-Thank you…” I weakly spat out.

“It’s okay… No matter what happens, I’ll be here. And Delawyn and Seiryo still exist, in both of our hearts and in our memories. Everybody we’ve lost does,”

I pulled away slightly, resting my forehead on Hisoka’s again, staring at his smile. I could see his eyes were watery, but… his smile was so genuine.

And… every single one of my goddamn pansexual emotions came bubbling back to the surface, my face going pink.

“U-Um… Hisoka?”

“Yeah?”

I bit my lip slightly. “U-Um… this is hard for me to say,”

“It’s okay. Whatever you say, I won’t judge you.”

“T-Then… u-um…”

I felt my heartrate speed up, felt my left wrist pulse heavily. I took a deep breath, trying to calm back down.

“I… I love you.”

 

For a moment, only our breathing could be heard.

…

…

… I knew it. Hisoka would have to be an idiot to love someone like me-

“ **I love you too**.”

I felt my heart skip a beat.

“I… I don’t think right now is the best time to become a couple, though. Once we’re out of here, though… I think – no, I _want_ that to change, so long as that’s what you want.”

I sniffled again, holding back the tidal wave of emotions threatening to flood forth once more. Hisoka must’ve seen my face change, though.

“Can I kiss you now, though? You know, one for the road ahead and all that jazz.”

My response… was to kiss him.

A sweet, gentle kiss, with a hopeful promise of more to come.

 

After a moment, our lips parted, and Hisoka and I hesitantly let go of each other.

“I… should probably get back to the others. Let them know what’s going on. Do you need me to stay with you?”

I shook my head. “N-No, actually… I think I’ll take a look around the new floor. It’s the last one, right?”

Hisoka smiled and nodded as he stood in the doorway. “Right. At least, that’s what Monokuma said.”

 

Hisoka left, and a few moments later, I got up and decided to look around upstairs. I… admittedly, took Kenji’s ramp most of the way. I didn’t want to use the stairs – not four flights of them, anyway.

I arrived on the fifth floor and finally got a good look… two doors to my right, four doors to my left. I decided to go check them all, in clockwise order.

The first room I entered… didn’t need an explanation. It was where I’d come from – where I’d woken up after the trial. Seiryo’s lab.

… I don’t know whether he would’ve loved this place or not, but it would’ve been useful before…

Let’s just hope it’s useful now and in the future.

I looked at my left wrist once more… I’d need a change of shirt once I was done here. But for now, I rolled up the sleeve, and replaced the bandages with clean ones as best I could.

“Aaand… there,” I exclaimed as I finished. The bandages were actually on pretty nicely, and obscured all the blood.

But… I had nothing more to do in this lab.

 

I headed back out into the hallway and went up to the next set of doors – one marked “Men” and the other marked “Women”.

Okay… those were probably toilets. I didn’t need to go right now, and a quick glance into the women’s room told me it was almost exactly like the ladies’ bathroom on the first floor.

 

I moved along into the next room, and saw… a lot of tables and a shelf stacked full of board games.

I pulled one off the shelf – Monopoly – and opened it up out of curiosity.

… I should’ve expected all of the pieces to be replaced with miniature Monokuma pieces. A further inspection of the board had most of the places replaced with “Despair” this and “Enoshima” that.

I don’t think I liked this Enoshima girl very much, I thought, as I picked up the Chance and Community Chest cards--

“Are you enjoying my Monokumopoly board?”

 

I screamed as that goddamn _voice_ came from behind me. If I had two hands, I probably wouldn’t have dropped the board. As it was, however, that’s exactly what happened.

“HEY! Be careful with that! I put a lot of work into it!” Monokuma said.

“Eek! I’m sorry!” I said, before my brain caught up with me. “Wait, no I’m not! Why’d you startle me, anyway?”

“Come on, can’t I check on my prized little mystery solver?” Monokuma said. “You were unconscious for two days, after all! I haven’t spoken to you in ages!”

“And I’d like to keep it that way, thanks!” I said. Stupid Monokuma. I left the board and the bear alone for the latter to pick up the former, and headed across the hall.

 

The first thing I noticed was… how close the door was to the right wall. Well, my right – from where the stands were, it seemed it was to the left. The walls were painted with pretty pink cherry blossoms on a bright spring day. Right next to me were three targets lined up, and most already had arrows in them. Most of them were close to the bullseye with only a couple of missed shots – there were even some split arrows.

I might have been alone at the time, but… it was clear Dai had used this lab at some point.

 

One more lab to check… I left Dai’s lab and headed to the one remaining unchecked room.

Surprisingly, there was someone in there – Kenji.

“Hey, Kenji…” I said, heading inside the lab as I looked around. Along the floor were various lines I didn’t really recognize, a few chairs, and… a hoop that I definitely did recognize. The shape of the hoop was unmistakable.

But what was _surprising,_ was the ball in Kenji’s hands. I watched him toss it towards the hoop… and get a perfect shot.

“Morning…” Kenji replied, spinning around to face me.

“I’ll admit, I didn’t expect to see you here…” I said.

“Is it because I’m so depressed?”

“W-Well, uh…”

“Bweh. I might be depressed, but… Seiryo said he wanted me to do this. I… hate doctors, but…”

I looked at the ball as it stopped at my feet. Frowning, I picked it up.

“Go take a shot,” Kenji said.

“Huh? B-But I wasn’t even a basketball all star to start with! A-And now I’m missing my hand!”

“I’m missing both my legs,”

“T-That’s totally different!”

“Is not.”

“Is too!”

“Just take a shot, it doesn’t matter if you miss, I’m the only one that’s gonna see it,”

I… figured it was no use fighting with Kenji, so I sighed and lined myself up for the shot.

I tossed the ball, and watched it sail under the board and hit the wall behind the hoop.

“I told you I couldn’t make the shot…”

“I didn’t tell you to _make_ it, I told you to _take_ it.”

“Huh?”

“… Kokuro’s a bitch for telling me I deserved to die, but she was right. Your dumb optimism is what’s been holding us together. Even if you failed to prevent the murders, you trying to do that is what’s kept us from falling into despair,”

“Um…” I said. “I… don’t think Kokuro meant it. She was frustrated, is all.”

“That’s not the point. I know losing your limbs is hard- just look at me. But… your dumb optimism kept me through it. So… I want our dumb optimism to inspire **you** again. If you just give up, like I did, then everyone just died for nothing.”

That…

…

… Kenji had a point. I… I couldn’t let despair get the better of me.

I didn’t have to be the leader everyone wanted… I just needed to not give into despair.

That… was easier said than done, even for an optimist like me.

But… I didn’t need to inspire myself and everybody else on my own.

We… needed to inspire each other.

Even if we stayed in here forever, we couldn’t give into Monokuma.

“… Kenji, thank you,” I said. “But I think I should get going now.”

Kenji nodded, wheeling himself over to pick up the ball again.

 

I headed out of the room and sighed… I had some time to kill today. Maybe talking with the others would clear my head…?

I began wandering around the asylum for a bit once more, before I ran into Kokuro in the gym, making use of the treadmill.

She didn’t say anything as I approached.

“Hey, Kokuro, want to hang out?” I asked.

“Get up and try to keep up with me,” Kokuro replied.

 

I spent some time exercising with Kokuro…

 

… I think me and Kokuro got a little closer today.

 

“Hey, um, question,” I said.

“What’s your question?” Kokuro asked.

“Before, when I mentioned the ringleader-“

“You wanna see a one-handed backflip?”

There she goes, changing the subject again!

“N-No, I wanna know what the deal is with the ringleader!”

“There’s nothing to know. Ringleaders are all the same. Talentless hacks that get to the top by ordering others around and sucking up to the audience,”

“H-Hey, I’ve seen ringleaders pull their own stunts!”

“Yeah? Like what?” Kokuro looked me in the eye. I’d… have to be careful how I responded.

  1. **I saw one help the clowns with their act!**
  2. The last one I went to had the ringleader juggle bowling pins!
  3. One when I was a little girl was also a mime!



“There was a circus I went to a while ago where the Ringleader helped the clowns with their act!” I said.

“That’s just a bloody standard thing that ringleaders do!” Kokuro folded her arms. “They’re tasked with interacting with everybody to make sure everything vaguely connects!”

“But you just said they just order everyone around and-“

“I’m well aware of what I said, that doesn’t mean the two bloody things cancel each other out,”

I groaned loudly…

Maybe I should avoid the topic of ringleaders when talking with Kokuro. They seem to be a sensitive subject to her… or at least bring out even more stubborn anger than usual.

“Um…” I said, scratching my neck. “Do you do tightrope stunts or ground stunts?”

“Yeah,”

“Yeah?”

“I do both. Sucks a bit when I fall off the tightrope, though.”

“Huh? I thought the Ultimate Acrobat—”

“—wouldn’t make stupid bloody mistakes. Well, we’re all human. Not so much the fall as it is my shoulder or knee breaking on impact,”

**Her bones breaking on impact?!**

“Doesn’t that hurt?!”

“I know the obvious answer is ‘Of fucking course’, but honestly? Not much. Got some weird nerve problem that means I don’t usually feel loads of pain. Still doesn’t mean I can continue the routines, though.”

Kokuro offered me a smile. “Imagine if I just kept going and my arm snapped off.”

**…**

 

I spent a little more time with Kokuro, before we went our separate ways.

 

I still have some time left today…

I wandered up to the fifth floor and around the hallways for a bit, wondering exactly what to do next.

“And here I thought this floor would be free…” I heard a voice behind me. I turned around to see Kadiri with an unlit cigarette in her hand.

“Ehe, sorry…” I laughed nervously.

“Eh. As long as Hiroshi’s not up here, we should be fine,”

“Why Hiroshi?”

“I lit up in front of him before, and he went into a coughing fit,” Kadiri said, lowering her hand and folding them together. “My guess? Either asthma or just really sensitive lung--”

[SHHHHK. SHHHHHHK.]

The monitor above us began to flicker on, the static lighting up the rail behind us. I didn’t know why – surely, this was Monokuma trying to gather us all back together for the next motive, right? – but my eyes were glued to the monitor.

And soon… the unmistakable shape of a **human** showed up. A woman.

“This is — can I get through? – Uh, this is – We’re through? Okay.”

The static stopped, and I could finally see her face clearly.

“I’m sorry it’s taken so long to find you. I’m Niseno Shimizu. I’m a hacker from the organization Humanity’s Future. If this message gets through to Class 81 of Hope’s Peak Academy, then we’ve finally managed to find you. I’ll be joining a dispatch team and heading to your location as soon as possible, and next time you see me, I hope it’ll be live, so I can answer all your questions. May you all be safe when we arrive.”

The monitor faded back to static, and I was finally aware of my surroundings again. I turned to Kadiri.

“They’re… they’re finally coming to rescue us,” Kadiri said. I expected some sort of remark about how it was about time, but…

… she seemed just as hopeful as I did.

“Look… I’ll go find and tell the others, though if they hacked one monitor, I imagine that they hacked them all.” Kadiri readjusted her bow.

“Okay…” I said. “Maybe we should all have dinner together and figure out what to do from there?”

“Sounds good,” Kadiri said, before heading down the stairs.

 

As soon as Kadiri left, all the questions I didn’t even know I had came flooding to the front of my mind. How had they only just found us? Did someone tip them off? And who were Humanity’s Future, anyway? What kind of dispatch were they sending? Could they defeat Monokuma and the mastermind? Did they know who the mastermind was?

Ugh… all these questions were giving me a headache.

I decided to file the questions under “Ask everyone later”, and just try to keep my mind on more enjoyable and simple matters for now.

 

I headed back downstairs a few flights and wandered around some more, before encountering Satoko in Korin’s lab.

“I… I wonder how he did it,” Satoko’s voice was barely audible.

“Hey, Satoko, do you want to hang out?” I asked.

“Y-Yes. U-Um… do you know anything about sewing?”

 

I spent some time holding fabric in place while Satoko stitched it together…

 

It seems Satoko and I grew a little closer today.

 

“How have you been holding up?” I asked.

“… Y-you lost your friend and your hand, a-and you want to know how **I’m** doing?” Satoko narrowed her eyes at me.

“L-Look, we’ve both lost something important to us. My suffering doesn’t diminish yours,”

Satoko cast her gaze to the floor. “It just… seems so tame to not be injured.”

“I… I lost my hand because I did something stupid and ran in. I only knew Delawyn a few weeks, you’ve known Korin your whole life.”

“… I’m holding up okay,”

Well, I got an answer out of her, at least.

“D-Do you think he’d be proud of me?” Satoko looked back towards me. “I… I haven’t done much since he…”

“You’ve done plenty, Satoko,” I replied. “Don’t sell yourself short.”

“L-Like what?”

“You’ve been coming to breakfast on a regular schedule, and you’ve been using your head in trials rather than your heart,”

“That seems like a regular thing to do,”

I folded my arms. “It is, but… I don’t know. I feel like if I lost my brother, I wouldn’t be leaving my room for a while…”

“You’ve got siblings?”

“Uh- sorry, didn’t mean to mislead you. No, I’m an only child,”

“I-I don’t mean any offense by this, Maemi, b-but…”

“I know, I don’t know what it’s like to have a sibling—”

“You don’t know what it’s like for that sibling to be the only good family you have.”

Satoko’s face was unusually intense… I think I need to get off this topic.

“Um… have you done any carvings recently?” I asked.

Satoko blinked, before taking a deep breath.

“I-I have, actually. A marble ring.” Satoko reached into her pocket, before brandishing a smooth rock ring towards me. The ring itself was done with patterns of leaves and vines, and indented inside was a blue gemstone.

“Whoa… that’s amazing, Satoko!” I said.

“Y-You can look closer if you want.”

Satoko slid the ring onto my finger… though by the loose fit, it was pretty obvious the ring was meant to fit her hands.

It still looked absolutely gorgeous, however, and the gemstone shone under the lights…

“I-It’s really beautiful. I think it suits you, Satoko.”

“T-Thank you,” Satoko said, removing the ring and putting it back in her pocket.

I’m glad to see she’s doing well…

 

Satoko and I talked for a little longer, before we parted ways.

 

I took a deep breath as I headed back out, as dinner time loomed closer. That odd announcement earlier today…

… Would someone really save us?

I wanted to believe it. I wanted to believe it, more than anything else in the world.

But… I didn’t know if I could. If it would actually be the end of this nightmare, or just another chapter in Monokuma’s torment.

I pushed open the door to the dining area. But for once, I was the first one here. That, or the last one.

I didn’t feel very hungry, so I went to the back and grabbed an apple. I sat back down, where I usually did, and waited.

Waited…

…

… I checked my phone. It was pretty early still, about an hour before anyone would show up.

I put the apple on the table, leaned back, and decided to close my eyes for a bit…

…

…

…

I opened my eyes suddenly, and the scenery around me had changed entirely. I stood in a ruined street, with at least thirty other people. Some were young, some were old. Some were male, some were female. Every single one had their eyes on mine, as if a string tied their gazes to mine.

All of them… also had a knife in their hand.

I backed away slightly from the largest group of people. But every step I took back, they also took a step back.

Were… were they following my actions?

That… what the hell was going on?! Where was I?

Damnit, I didn’t have time for this!

I began to try and think how I could get out of here without being followed… They were in all directions of me, so I couldn’t just walk off, and I didn’t want to fight anyone off…

… I thought of something horrific. No, that was too far.

But just thinking that was enough. The entire crowd raised their blades to their necks.

I opened my mouth to scream out, to tell them not to do this—

 

… something blocked my mouth, but I couldn’t see what.

“… come on, that’s gross.”

 

I snapped back to attention, and the ruined city faded back and morphed into the dining hall.

“Maybe, but it’s funny.”

I quickly realized Kokuro had stuffed a paper napkin in my mouth.

“Blech!”

I quickly reached up and tossed it out.

“Oh, she’s up.”

“What was that for?” I asked, sitting up straight.

“I dunno. The opportunity was there, and nobody stopped me,” Kokuro replied.

Kenji frowned. “The opportunity for murder’s always there-“

“No, the hell it isn’t,” Kokuro said.

“Bweh… guess you’re right.”

“I thought you were on bad terms with each other?” I asked.

“And we can’t make an attempt to bloody mend that why?”

I sunk slightly into my chair.

“Um… where is everyone else?” I asked, looking down at the apple – I’d only taken about one bite, and the edges had slightly browned.

“Coming, eventually, I imagine,” Kenji said.

As if on cue, the door opened, and Hiroshi and Hisoka entered the hall.

“Sorry if we’re late!” Hiroshi said.

“No, not late,” Kenji said.

“It’s only about six, I think.” Kokuro reached into her pocket and grabbed her student phone. “… Yeah, six.”

Hisoka and I exchanged a glance at each other, and I twisted my head to the side slightly, so the others wouldn’t see the sudden peach colour in my cheeks.

Hiroshi scratched the back of his neck. “I’ll go grab something to eat, then-“

 

The monitors above us fizzled to life again, and with it came a rising sense of dread. Now that I didn’t know whether the next announcement would be from Humanity’s Future or from the mastermind…

Thankfully, Niseno’s visage was what became visible, a lot clearer than last time.

“Alright, I think I’m live…”

In an instant, all five pairs of eyes in the room were on the monitor.

“H-Hello?” I stammered, standing up.

“… Hello, Akemi,” Niseno replied.

“Hold on, hold on,” Kokuro said. “How many fingers am I holding up?”

“… Shiroko, I would appreciate it if you didn’t make such gestures towards me, especially since we’re trying to rescue you,”

“Bloody hell… it is live, then,” Kokuro said.

“I can only keep about one feed open, but we’re about to disembark. Unfortunately, we ran into a complication with some other detainees, so I’ll be the only one arriving,”

“Detainees?” Hiroshi asked.

“It would take too long to explain. The gist of it is… there was a second Tragedy.”

 

“A… second tragedy?” I asked, nervously.

“Like I said, I can explain everything once I’ve saved you. There’s sixteen of you, right? That was the briefing I was given.”

I bit my lip, averting my eyes.

“… Eight. There were sixteen, but eight of us have died,” Kenji said.

“… Thank you for informing me of that, Katayama. It’s worse than I thought. Where are the other three, though?”

“I’m not sure where Kadiri and Dai are, but I was talking to Satoko about 15 minutes ago, and she was in her lab…” Hiroshi said.

“Thank you for that, Ohta. I’ll assume that Kadiri and Dai are okay for the time being,” Niseno replied.

“I’m really sorry it came to this, Niseno,” Hisoka said.

“There are no hard feelings, Ongakundo. I just hope when I arrive, I’m not too late for someone else.” Niseno paused for a moment, as the door to the cafeteria opened, revealing Dai on the other side.

“I will talk to you all once more when I’m being dispatched to your location. The signal will probably be worse, but it’ll be to instruct you on what to do,” Niseno said.

The monitors shut off.

“… I’m sorry, did I miss something?” Dai asked.

“Um… did you see that announcement from Niseno earlier?” I asked. “She’s with Humanity’s Future – whoever that is – and she said she was coming to rescue us.”

“I see… I did see the announcement earlier,” Dai said.

“Do you think she’ll really come through?” Hiroshi asked.

“I want to think so,” Kokuro said.

“But it seems so… I don’t know. Um… Convenient?” Kenji asked. “I don’t know if that’s the word I’m looking for, but it’s just weird timing.”

“You do have a point, but I’m just so bloody tired of this place,”

“We all are, Kokuro,” Dai said. “I’ll go get some food. Does anyone else want something while I’m back there?”

 

A few minutes passed, and we were back at the dining table. Everybody had either a bowl of cereal or a bowl of instant ramen in front of them.

About halfway through my cereal, the doors opened, revealing Kadiri and Satoko on the other side.

“Sorry I’m late! It took **forever** for me to get Satoko to leave her lab!” Kadiri announced.

“… A-And by forever, y-you mean two minutes,” Satoko replied.

“Eeh, details, details! I’m gonna get an apple.”

 

While Kadiri went to the back, Satoko sat down.

“… I grabbed food earlier,” Satoko offered.

“That’s quite alright,” Dai said.

Kadiri came back out with an apple in her hand, and sat down as well.

“… Dinner’s pretty unorthodox tonight, isn’t it?” Kokuro offered.

“We don’t exactly have a full meal prepared,” Dai said.

“Still, we’re together,” Hisoka said.

“We sure are,” Kadiri said, rolling her eyes slightly.

“We’ve had nearly every meal together,” Kenji said. “At least breakfast and d-“

 

Eight text message notifications cut Kenji off, all at the same time.

“What was that?” I asked, pulling my phone out of my pocket.

 Soon, eight phones were in all of our hands, and I assumed we all received the same message. The caller was scrambled, but I could probably guess who it was from.

 

**(`** **皿** **´** **＃** **)** _somebody cut off my access to the monitors!! and also i'm too lazy to come see you in bearson_ ( ◢д◣)

_but either way_ ᵔᴥᵔ _here's your next motive!!!_ (≧∇≦*)

_if you kill someone_ ｏ(≧▼≦○〃 _i'll tell you who’s the mastermind!_ ʕ≧ᴥ≦ʔ _but only you_ (〇o〇；)

_happy killing_ (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧          

 

…

The mastermind **has** to be deliberately toying with me now.

This motive…

I lifted my phone up and nearly chucked it at the floor, but I felt someone’s hand close around my wrist and hold it where it was.

“Don’t break your phone. I can imagine your frustration, but I can also imagine what Monokuma will do to you if you break it,” Dai said.

I sighed deeply. “Damnit…”

“The fucking mastermind’s doing this on purpose!” Hisoka said.

“Well, no shit,” Kokuro said. “The bloody mastermind put motives in place that targeted specific classmates before.”

“And right now, I think they might feel threatened by Maemi,” Kadiri added. “She’s gotten closer and closer to thwarting them every time. Therefore, why not a motive that pits her values against each other?”

“You’re not…” Hiroshi turned towards me.

I remained silent. I’d be lying if I told him no, and I’d be restrained by the others if I told him yes.

“… Keep an eye on Maemi,” Dai said after a while. “Though I feel like most of us are capable of restraining her.”

I bit my lip, and nodded. “I… I’ll go to my room.”

I stood up, waved to everyone, and then headed back to my room.

 

I threw myself onto my bed, staring up at the ceiling blankly, and desperately trying to push the motive out of my head.

If the last motive hadn’t gotten to Delawyn, this one would’ve.

…

…

I knew I’d never get an answer. But now I knew that there was a texting feature…

I sighed, rolling onto my side and opening up her phone number, and began typing.

 

_the next motive was even worse. i miss you. i wish you were still here. i really need you right now. i need to know what to do. i know you can’t respond or even see this message, but i want to say i’m glad for the time we spent together._

I hit send, and then returned to staring blankly at the ceiling, hoping to distract myself with something. Anything.

…

My phone rang all of a sudden. Despite the fact I knew it couldn’t be her, my heart skipped a beat as I checked the Caller ID… it was Hisoka.

My heart skipped another beat as I accepted the call and put the phone to my ear.

“Hey, Maemi?” Hisoka’s voice was clear.

“… Yeah?” I replied.

“Look, I know this motive is going to be tough. But are two more lives really worth it to try and find the mastermind?”

“I… I know. But… I want to save everybody, more than anything, and…”

“and that’s what the mastermind knows you’ll try to do. The best thing you can do right now is ignore the motive,”

I nodded silently. “I-I’m trying to.”

“Do you just want to talk for a while until you fall asleep?”

“T-That’d be nice…”

“Alright. I can’t sing, so no lullaby.”

I heard Hisoka chuckle on the other end of the line, and I laughed as well.

We talked for a while, about what we’ll do once we’re out of here. About what we’ll do with our futures…

… and about us. I asked him how he could be so calm about our new relationship.

“I’ll be honest… I’m not calm. I’m really excited. I’ve… never been in a relationship before. I dunno why nobody’s picked up on it.”

“They’re probably used to me still being head-over-heels for Delawyn…”

“Probably, but I think she made it pretty clear you weren’t together.”

I paused for a moment. “… I still miss her.”

“Yeah… I do too. But I think she’d be happy to see you still standing tall.”

“When we’re out… I want to hold a memorial service for her. For everyone.”

“We will. I promise, Maemi, we will.”

 

We talked a little longer, through the nighttime announcement, until I felt and Hisoka sounded very sleepy.

“Hisoka… I think I need sleep,” I said.

“Yeah… me too,” Hisoka said. “Good night, Maemi. I love you.”

“I love you too…”

I ended the call, put my phone on my desk, and changed into my pajamas.

… Getting my underwear on tomorrow would be one hell of a challenge, but that was a problem for future Maemi to figure out.

I crawled under the bedsheets, and started to drift off to sleep…

 

**[LOVE HOTEL]**

I woke up in a strange dream… No, this isn’t that strange anymore. This is the Love Hotel. Kokuro stood in front of the bed.

“Thank you for taking me in on such short notice,” Kokuro said, barely giving me a moment to figure out what was going on. “I couldn’t stay with that bastard a moment longer.”

Was… I protecting Kokuro from someone?

“It’s no problem, really,” I replied, gesturing to the bed. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Kokuro frowned at me. “I told you everything over the bloody phone on the way over. Though… I was whispering, and the bloody train’s a loud thing.”

“It’s okay,” I said. “I’ll support you either way.”

“I’m glad to hear that… especially since I nearly bashed his brains in,” Kokuro said.

I felt my anxiety flare up. Did Kokuro kill someone?!

“W-What?!”

“I’d… He threatened me again. He threatened to make our relationship public,” Kokuro said. “He’d done it every time I threatened to walk out on him or didn’t do what he wanted. I didn’t want to have sex with him. Never fucking did. I’m not even attracted to him – I’m asexual. But he always used the fact I gave in even once as leverage. But this time was different.”

“Different?”

“I told him we were over. That I didn’t want anything to do with him anymore, and I was quitting, too,” Kokuro said. “That… that bastard tried to force himself on me. I’d grabbed the nearest thing and hit him.”

“Is… is he dead?” My body was shaking.

Kokuro shook her head. “No, I just knocked him out. But I won’t lie, I contemplated killing him. There’s nobody in the world I want to see dead… more than him.”

I took a deep breath. “Okay… If he comes looking for you, I’ll tell him you’re not here. You can stay here as long as you need to.”

“Thank you… I’m sorry I came across as cold in our time together as friends. I’m very aware of how I presented myself, and… I hated living that lie. I hate living **any** lie.”

I put my arm around Kokuro’s shoulder, doing my best to comfort her.

“I understand, Kokuro…”

“You don-“ Kokuro began, but cut herself off. “… I don’t believe you do entirely, but I know you’re trying. May I sit down?”

I let go of her. “Yeah, of course!”

Kokuro sat down on the bed, and I sat down next to her.

“… This’ll be the first night in two years I’ve slept alone,” Kokuro said. “It’s… kind of weird.”

Should I offer to stay with her? If that’s not what she wants, she might wake up…

“Um… I could stay with you tonight, if you want?” I offered.

Kokuro was silent for a few moments, apparently thinking it over, before she turned to me.

“I… I don’t want to be alone. I feel like I’ll be too scared to sleep if I am. Even if it’s just you… I’ll feel a lot safer.”

I rested my hand on her shoulder. “You don’t have to be alone anymore. I’ll support you. I’ll make sure he doesn’t hurt you again, no matter what.”

I smiled at Kokuro, and I saw cracks forming in the stubborn façade she kept up. Those cracks soon shattered, and a black tear fell down her soft cheek.

“Maemi…”

Kokuro leaned forward, wrapping her arms around my shoulders and crying into them. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders, holding her close.

“It’s okay… cry as much as you need to,” I said.

“Thank you,” Kokuro said, in between choked sobs.

We stayed like that for a few moments, silent, but comfortable in each other’s presence and arms.

Eventually, though, Kokuro pulled away. She laid down on the bed, taking me with her.

“… It’s late. Promise me you’ll stand up for me?” Kokuro asked.

“I promise, Kokuro.” I replied.

Kokuro smiled at me, widely, in one of the few genuine smiles of joy I’ve seen from her.

“Then… I’ll do the same for you. Thank you, Maemi.”

Both Kokuro and I closed our eyes…

**[LOVE HOTEL]**

 

**[MONOKUMA THEATRE]**

“I wonder why the song is, ‘We’re Going On A Bear Hunt’?”

“It’s a child’s nursery rhyme but it makes no sense.”

“How can children hunt or run away from a bear successfully?”

“So I present Monokuma’s Bear Hunt!”

“ ‘We’re going on a bear hunt!’ “

“ ‘Through the wall! Through the stream! Through the graveyard!’ “

“ ‘Oh no! It’s Monokuma!’ “

“ ‘We run back through the graveyard!’ “

“ ‘We run back through the stream!’ “

“ ‘But physics means we can’t go through the wall!’ “

“ ‘And so, Monokuma eviscerated us.’ “

“ ‘But hey, we managed to find Monokuma!’ “

“I’ll be taking my writing check for 40,000 yen now, thank you!”

**[MONOKUMA THEATRE]**

“Ahem- attention, all lunatics! It is now 7am! The cafeteria and dining hall have been unlocked,” Monokuma announced. “Please, let’s all have a wonderful day together!” The monitors shut off as Monokuma finished his morning announcement.

 

I frowned as I got up. God… for once, I’d like for Monokuma to just let me _fucking_ sleep in.

Unfortunately, that means two things – the morning and evening announcements are scheduled and not overridable unless murder happens, or Monokuma has control of the monitors again.

I took a quick shower, opened my drawers, and realized that Past Maemi is a little bitch, as I wondered how I was going to get my bra on with one hand. Most of the rest of my clothes and even slipping it on was easy, but clasping it shut…

I sighed and reached for my phone. It was probably awkward to ask this of a guy, but still…

_can you come to my room and help me put my bra on?_

I hit send and waited for a response, holding the cups in hopes of preserving modesty. The response, however, came from a knock at the door.

Slightly embarrassed, I opened it to see Hisoka on the other side.

“S-Sorry, you were the first person I could think of for this sort of thing…” I said, turning my back to him.

“I understand, I just hope you don’t expect stellar skills with this,” Hisoka said.

“If you can connect it, it should be fine,” I said.

It didn’t take long at all – about ten seconds at most.

“… You know, I did say we should try to save this until we’re out of here,” Hisoka said.

“I am trying to! But it’s embarrassing to ask anyone else to help with my bra!” I pulled my blouse on.

“I can’t quite understand that, but I feel like any of the girls would be a better option than me,” Hisoka said.

“You’re going to argue Kokuro would be a better choice?”

“… Okay, point taken.”

I was fully dressed now. “Okay… I’ll go out and see if the coast is clear, and then you can come out too?”

“… Won’t that just be more suspicious?” Hisoka asked.

“I… don’t know, actually,” I said.

“Well, try it anyway, I guess.”

 

I slipped out of my room and into the hallway, but by this time I was fairly sure everyone had gone to breakfast already.

“Um… I’ll head in, you wait a few moments, and then you head in?” I suggested.

“Yeah, sounds good,” Hisoka said.

“Shut the door behind you,” I said, before heading to the dining hall.

 

I pushed open the door, and as I guessed, everyone else was around the dining table on the other side. Two bowls of rice sat on the table uneaten, while everyone else had a bowl of it in their hands.

“Sorry I’m late,” I offered. “Must’ve slept in a bit.”

“Well, you’re not the last one here, at least,” Dai replied. “Take either bowl you want.”

“Thank you.”

I sat down, grabbed the bowl, and… immediately noticed I couldn’t really eat it the way I was used to.

I sighed, putting the bowl on the table, and started eating.

About a moment later, Hisoka entered the hall as well.

“Sorry, I got a bit tied up with something,” Hisoka offered.

“Well… you’re not dead,” Kadiri offered.

I gestured to the last bowl with my left arm. “Um, I think that’s yours,”

“Right, thank you,” Hisoka said, taking the bowl and sitting down.

“Well, to start things off this morning… I think someone should keep an eye on Maemi,” Kadiri said.

“I’m not a baby, I don’t need—”

“Wasn’t implying you were. But that motive does strongly target you.” Kadiri flashed a smile at me. “Wouldn’t want you committing murder now, would we?”

“I’m struggling to even eat breakfast! How could I-“

Hisoka suddenly broke into a fit of coughs, and the blood immediately drained from my face.

“Hisoka!”

I stood up immediately, only for him to wave me down.

“S-Sorry-“ Hisoka kept coughing. “Must’ve swallowed it the wrong way.”

“Y-You scared me…” I said, sinking back into my chair.

“I know… I’m sorry,”

“Anyway… we need to keep an eye on Maemi, even though she only has one hand,” Kadiri said.

“I’m pretty sure any of us could overpower her if she did try to kill,” Hisoka said.

“I know, but you know. Better safe than sorry!”

“If you get overpowered by an unathletic girl with one hand, I dunno what to tell you,” Kokuro said.

Kadiri sighed, rubbing her temples. “I’m just saying that the motive’s one we gotta be cautious about Maemi over-“

“And who knows if someone else is _less vocal_ about toppling the mastermind?! Are you a fucking mind-reader, Kadiri? Or are you just jumping on the easiest target you find?” I stood up, knocking my chair over. “Stop talking about me like I’m not here! Stop saying I’m capable of things I’m not! Just shut up!”

Kadiri went speechless for a moment, her expression blank as paper, and a gaze like a new razor’s edge. But that blank expression soon faded back to a smile.

“… Alright, you win, I guess. But if a body turns up… well. Don’t say I didn’t say, ‘I told you so’.”

Kadiri stood up, and headed out of the double doors.

I sighed, sinking back into my chair.

“… K-Kadiri does have a point about the motive, though…” Satoko said.

“Not you too, Satoko…”

“I-I’m not going to suggest constant surveillance,” Satoko said. “J-Just… a little more caution, is all.”

I took a deep breath. “Okay. I’m calm again.  … That sounds like an okay compromise.”

 

The rest of breakfast passed without incident, and we all soon parted ways.

 

I didn’t have much to do today… I just hoped that this Niseno woman would manage to rescue us.

 

I headed up the stairs and towards Hisoka’s Ultimate Lab, finding him in the middle of a routine. He didn’t say anything as I entered the room, engrossed in his performance.

“Uh… hey, Hisoka, do you wanna hang out?” I asked, pushing my fingers together.

“Oh, sure! It’s not an easy routine, but you can watch if you want!” Hisoka replied.

 

I spent some time watching Hisoka practice his routine…

 

… I think me and Hisoka got a little closer today.

 

“Hey, I managed to write a routine today!” Hisoka exclaimed.

“That’s great!” I replied.

“Here, we can do it together! It’s a two-person routine, but I made sure you don’t have to know much about dancing to follow along!” Hisoka switched on his music player. “Alright, let’s go!”

“But I don’t know the routi-“

“I barely know it either! We’ll figure it out as it goes,” Hisoka said, gently taking my wrists before I could question how he barely knew a routine that _he_ wrote.

It… wasn’t exactly a graceful routine - at least on my part. I flopped around like a dead fish, even while Hisoka took the lead and looked as elegant as ever throughout all of the moves.

After about three minutes, the routine ended, and Hisoka grinned widely at me.

“Hell yeah! That was awesome!”

“Really? I felt like I was just weighing you down…”

“No way, Maemi!” Hisoka gently held onto my shoulders. “You aren’t weighing me down, and besides, I asked you to join in!”

I held my tongue about the fact he dragged me into it, but he had a point…

“So, what do you think of modern dance?” Hisoka asked, letting go of me.

“I think it’s really cool! I just think… y’know, I shouldn’t really do it myself, y’know?”

“Huh? Weren’t you having fun?”

I scratched the back of my head. “Uh… I was having fun, but I was worried about making a fool of myself…”

Hisoka shook his head. “I get your insecurity, but trust me. Nobody’s here but us, and I think you’re awesome no matter what. Dance should be about losing yourself in the rhythm, even if you look like a total dingus doing it!”

“That’s easy for you to say, you’re the Ultimate Modern Dancer…”

“Hey, would you berate me for being bad with shadow puppets?”

“W-Well, no, but that’s different!”

“I don’t think the differences are too big. I’m not gonna get up at you for being apparently bad at modern dance, and you shouldn’t get mad at yourself either!” Hisoka gave me a large grin. “If you’re that worried, then I’ll teach you!”

I laughed nervously. “But I’m not very athletic…”

“Maybe, but you don’t need to be that athletic! I’ll be sure to keep that in mind. There’s a ton of cool routines that you can do even if you-“

Hisoka’s expression changed, and he groaned and rubbed at his face. “Fuck, I don’t have the routines because we’ve been kidnapped.”

“That’s okay, I enjoy watching you more than anything.”

“Eh? Why didn’t you say so?” Hisoka asked.

“I- I mean, I’m fine with joining in, I just think it’s better if I stay on the sidelines.”

“I’ll always be happy to dance with you, but if you’d prefer to just watch, I won’t stop you.” Hisoka gave a thumbs up. “Hey, next time we’re together, maybe I could show you one of my favourite routines?”

I smiled. “I’d enjoy that. Thank you.”

 

I spent a little longer hanging out with Hisoka, before we parted ways.

 

I wandered around the asylum for a bit longer, not really having any aim in where I was going, and heading up the stairs. As soon as I got up, however, I ran into Satoko and Hiroshi.

“Hey, what’s up?” I asked, heading over to them.

“O-Oh! Hey! Uh,” Hiroshi stammered, pushing his fingers together. “Satoko and I both wound up needing the bathroom at the same time.”

“There’s… a slight problem. I-I can’t get into the women’s room,” Satoko added. “It’s just locked off.”

“Weird… Did Monokuma forget to unlock i-“

I was cut off by the sounds of static from the monitor above us. The screen flickered for a few moments, before Niseno’s face greeted us once more.

“Alright – I think I have you all on feed,” Niseno said, and I could hear soft helicopter noises in the background. “Let’s see… Akemi, Uesaka, Ohta… Ongakundo, Katayama… Shiroko… Kamowa… Nakashima—Yep, I’ve got the eight survivors on feed, Togami. I’m en route now.”

“How long are you going to be?” I asked.

“Sorry, Akemi, I wish I could say soon. But we’re still trying to find a safe place nearby to land the helicopter. It doesn’t look like there are any. ETA, at least six hours,” Niseno said.

There was silence for a moment, before Niseno nodded.

“An extraction point is probably a good idea, Katayama. Let’s say the games room on the fifth floor?”

“Y-Yeah, that sounds okay!” Hiroshi said.

“Alright. Stay safe until I—”

The feed suddenly cut, and I felt my heart drop a beat.

“N-Niseno? Can you hear me? Can you hear us?!” I took several steps closer to the monitor, until my face was almost against it—

The feed suddenly cut to Monokuma’s face, staring directly into my soul. I panicked, screamed, tripped over my own heel, and fell backwards onto my rear.

“Nobody escapes Kibou-Rehabiri Institute. Nobody. If you’re going to be ungrateful for all I’ve done for you, I’ll start taking those things away.”

“W-What do you mean?!” Satoko said, taking a step towards the monitor.

“There will be no unauthorized use of your Ultimate Labs until this little ‘issue’ is taken care of, and you realise that you will live the rest of your lives here,” Monokuma said.

“S-Seriously…?!” Hiroshi said.

The monitors responded to his question  by shutting off.

 

I stood up and rushed over to the door to Kenji’s lab, trying to turn the knob… no luck. It was locked tight.

“He… he really did lock us all out,” I said.

“H-Hey, the games room is still open!” Hiroshi said.

“T-That door seems kind of broken…” Satoko said.

“Huh?” Hiroshi said, as I headed back over to the two. “Oh, you’re right… This door won’t close all the way.”

“T-The games room also isn’t an Ultimate Lab…” Satoko said.

“So… Monokuma can’t really stop us from escaping if Niseno and Humanity’s Future arrives, right?” I said, with probably too much wavering optimism in my voice.

Both Satoko and Hiroshi looked at me strangely. I desperately swallowed my nervousness, even though I was just as worried as them.

“I-I mean. If Niseno and Humanity’s Future arrives to save us, we’ll all be safe! And once we’re safe… I’d like to remain friends,” I said.

I wasn’t sure exactly how or why, but that seemed to garner more positive responses from Hiroshi and Satoko.

I just hoped my optimism would hold true, for once…

 

I was soon on my own again, wandering the hallways and desperately hoping to pass time before Niseno and Humanity’s Future arrived to save us.

I eventually encountered Kenji at the pool.

“Bweh… They can’t find a safe place to land on a five-storey building in the middle of nowhere?” Kenji lamented.

“Hey, Kenji, do you wanna hang out?” I asked.

“I guess, if we’re gonna be going soon…”

 

I spent some time by the pool with Kenji…

 

I think me and Kenji got a little closer today.

 

“See? I told you you’d get your lab!” I said.

“Bweh… I guess I did,” Kenji replied.

“So, how often have you been going?”

“… Once a day, at least.”

I smiled. “See? That’s already an improvement!”

“I used to practice for several hours a day… I’ve only gotten about an hour in before I’ve gotten bored and just gone to the gym.” Kenji slumped in his wheelchair.

“Look, the goal wasn’t ‘get back to normal’,” I said. “It was ‘Have a passion for anything basketball-related at all again’.”

“That’s… sort of the thing,” Kenji said. “It doesn’t feel like a passion. It just feels like I’m going through the motions because I have to.”

“Huh?”

“I don’t feel any of the fire or passion that came before that stupid adult drove his car into me.” Kenji let out a sigh. “I’m just doing it because I feel like everyone’ll get upset if I don’t.”

I scratched my forehead, feeling a sense of guilt hanging over my shoulders. Have… have I been pressuring him too much?

“Um… Seiryo said you were showing signs of depression,” I said. “Maybe that’s it…?”

“Maybe. Maybe not. I don’t know,”

“Uh… say it does. Maybe that’s why you can’t find your passion?”

Kenji offered me another shrug.

“I… I think we might have taken this the wrong way,” I said. “Maybe rather than trying to push yourself all at once, maybe take smaller steps until—”

“I can’t take smaller steps, Maemi, not if I want to remain the Ultimate Basketball Player,” Kenji folded his arms. “If I can’t get back on track immediately, there’s no point doing it at all.”

“T-That’s not true-“

“People are already forgetting about me, moving on to the next promising guy who can play. It’s even worse in here, just doing nothi—”

“You’re not the only one afraid of being totally forgotten! At the very least, you have **some** people who know who you are!”

I wasn’t sure where my outburst had come from, but as soon as it came out, I regretted it entirely. Whatever I could’ve said to Kenji… that was probably the worst thing I could’ve said, especially after admitting he likely had depression.

“… I think we should take a break from each other,” Kenji said. “We both need space.”

 

Kenji wheeled away while I stood there horrified with myself, before I finally decided to leave as well.

 

I checked the time. It was about 5pm… I decided to head to the dining hall. Niseno would be here soon. I knew I should be up at the games room, but I had a horrific sense of dread in my heart. I couldn’t pinpoint where it was from – it was like despair came in from every angle through tiny strings into my veins, and swirled around in my bloodstream and made it antsy.

I sighed, opening the door to see Hisoka already at the table, legs propped up on it and hands behind his head. As he turned his head to face me, I realised he was the only one there.  

“We’re… not very good at hiding this, are we,” I said.

“Well, right now, I don’t think we have to be,” Hisoka gave a carefree smile as he pulled out the chair next to him.

“What if someone comes in unexpectedly?”

“… We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”

I pouted, but I’ll admit, I didn’t expect some elaborate plan from Hisoka to cover it up in that instance.

“… Isn’t that dangerous?” I asked as I sat down, looking at his posture.

“As long as all four chair legs are on the ground? Nah. Try it,”

Gingerly, and holding my skirt to my legs, I lifted them up onto the table. Monokuma didn’t arrive and flip out at us… that was good.

I then put my hand behind my head, smiling sadly as the effect was somewhat lost without a hand.

“Ehe… doesn’t have the same feel to it.” I put my hand and my wrist in my lap.

“Fair,” Hisoka replied, losing his smile for a moment. “… Do you think they’ll separate us when we’re rescued?”

“I… don’t think they’d have a reason to,” I said. “Are you just making idle talk?”

“There’s not much else to talk about,” Hisoka said. “Not much happens in 12 hour-“

**“Ding-dong-ding-dong! A body has been discovered! Following a brief period of investigation, we shall conduct our Class Trial!”**

Both mine and Hisoka’s faces paled.

Oh god… NO!

I couldn’t take this another time!

 

I burst out of the dining hall. In my hurry to find the body, however, I crashed into Satoko.

“S-Sorry!” I said, holding onto her to steady her as best I could.

“B-Body discovery announcement…” Satoko said.

“But where the hell-“ Hisoka said, as Dai came charging down the stairs.

“Fifth floor games room,” she said.

 

The three of us followed Dai back up the stairs and across the hallway towards the games room.

I tried to throw the door open, only for it to hit something on the other side.

“Oi! Watch it!” came Kokuro’s voice from the other side.

So Dai, Satoko, and Kokuro were safe...

“Get out the way, then!” I replied.

There was shuffling on the other side of the door, before I tried to throw it open again…

 

… and on the other side was the body of our would-be saviour, Niseno Shimizu.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for taking a long time with this - I still haven't quite worked out everything that will happen in the murder case, admittedly. I know that isn't exactly the best approach to these kinds of stories, and I have no excuse for it either.


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